Only God Can Make A Tree

Happy indeed is the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked; nor lingers in the way of sinners nor sits in the company of scorners, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord. He is like a tree that is planted beside the flowing waters, that yields its fruit in due season and whose leaves shall never fade; and all that he does shall prosper. Not so are the wicked, not so! For they like winnowed chaff shall be driven away by the wind. When the wicked are judged they shall not stand, nor find room among those who are just; for the Lord guards the way of the just but the way of the wicked leads to doom.
Psalm 1
Happiness is what we ultimately seek. The very first Psalm addresses how we go about attaining it, namely by obeying God's laws. Jesus also tells us that he who obeys His commandments loves Him. There is a difference of course between temporal pleasure and happiness. In a sense because the "world" rejects God, the world rejects happiness and thus seeks endless means to fill the void. Chesterton said, "Every man who knocks on the door of a brothel is looking for God" True happiness cannot be found in earthly things. We were not created for this world. The plans of God require us to risk and try a new adventure. The plans of the world are to delight in things that posses a very limited and narrow scope. God is much grander. "He is like a tree planted beside the flowing waters..." What a wonderful image. I love trees. I am not kidding. I always observe trees whenever I walk. I am amazed at how day after day whether it is the heat of the summer, the winds of a storm, the frost of winter, they endure. When I was little sprout at St. Joseph's Elementary, our school was on Kilmer Avenue. I found out one day that Kilmer Avenue was named after Joyce Kilmer. One day Sister had us read the Poem by Joyce Kilmer called Trees. It goes like this:

I Think I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree.
A Tree whose hungry mouth is pressed against the earth's sweet flowing breast.
A Tree that looks at God all day and lifts her leafy arms to pray.
A Tree that may in summer wear a nest of robins in her hair.
Upon whose bosom snow has lain and intimately lives with rain
Poems are made by fools like me but only God can make a tree.

Jesus described faith as the seed of mustard tree that grew so enormous. I believe that there was a reason that the ultimate sacrifice, the hope and our salvation, happened on a tree. If we are rooted in Jesus Christ "we shall prosper" God Bless !