As I’ve recently traveled the country roads and get a glimpse of the bare trees, the question comes to mind, “What would God see if I stood bare before him as these trees do?” I’ve pondered their sturdiness, yet I also see their brokenness. I’ve thought of how some branches have remained strong and upward, and some have gone various directions while others have been completely broken off midstream. Some seem to have a more perfect shape than others. Some appear to have gone through many battles, yet still remain standing. For some, there is nothing left but a stump.
When I come before the Lord, bearing my soul to him, what does he see when he gazes upon me? Does he see my strengths and my beauty? Does he recognize the brokenness? When life was going full steam ahead and suddenly came to an abrupt and unexpected halt, does he see the pain in my branches that were suddenly ended? Do those branches that wind around and bend awkwardly represent the times I’ve had to awkwardly bend to the circumstances around me in order to continue to flourish? What about the tree that looks more like a bushy hot mess? Does that represent the goodness of a full life filled with many blessings, or does it represent a life that is overwhelmed and burdened? Has life been such that I’ve simply become a stump with young branches popping up around me signaling some sense that life still exists?
According to Hebrews 4:13, nothing is hidden from God’s sight; therefore, he sees it all: “the good, the bad, and the ugly.” Everything in our life is laid bare before him, whether we acknowledge him or not. We cannot hide it, and we mustn’t try to hide it, for we are accountable for it. I think of the moment I came to the altar of prayer and laid my heart out before the Lord, how he took me into his arms and has never let me go. When I look at these trees, I am reminded that even though they have been through much, they have stood the test of time and still reach up to the heavens, offering to their Creator their praise. And then I ask myself, “When I stand ‘uncovered and bare’ before the Lord, do I lift up my praise to him, or do I just see my nakedness?”