Planting for the Future

A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. ~Greek Proverb

My father was not an old man when he helped plant a row of trees along the south end of the schoolyard where my siblings and I attended our early grades. He was a young father, but he had an eye on the future. He would never enjoy the trees, but he knew his kids would. Now many years later, the tiny saplings are thirty or so feet tall and line the property of the homeowner who converted the schoolhouse into a private dwelling. I wonder if they ever think about the person who planted those big trees so long ago.

There is a lesson about hope here. Planting trees for another generation is not the only action that anticipates the future. We do many things with vision for what lies ahead: we make long-term investments in our homes, in our education, and in our family relationships. We must also take into account what happens if we fail to act in ways that preserve our resources.

If you want a tall tree, the best time to plant it is twenty years ago. The next best time is now. (from a Chinese proverb) If you want a life of integrity, the best time to begin forming it is twenty or thirty or sixty years ago; the next best time would be now. "Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." (Psalm 34:12-14)

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/