THE GOLDEN CHAIN! 6/13/10

Several times we have moved into a different house and come spring time we were surprised by the colors, fragrance and ambience that takes place in our yard. Not knowing what had been planted before we arrived, it was with anticipation watching the yard come alive. Once it was wild flowers throughout the pasture; in the city there were many rose bushes lining the driveway and many lilac trees lining the back fence. We even had a tulip tree where the flowers would open up in the spring and close back up in the fall and winter, only to open again come spring.

In the back yard of the home we are presently living, there were several trees and two in the front. The two in the front eventually were blown over by the wind, but the ones in the back have been surprises. One in particular, although unknown to us, was fairly young. The first couple of years it just had green leaves and looked dead the rest of the year. The branches grow down and out, then turn upwards! The third year it developed long stringy things and bright golden flowers appeared. The first time around it was rather sparse and we wondered what it was called.

The following year the long stringy things that never went away, became longer and more appeared. This time when they bloomed it was absolutely the most spectacular, glowing tree I had ever seen. When the sun shown round about it, it was as though it was a statue covered in gold! Asking around, we were told it was a Golden Chain Tree. Since then I have seen many of them throughout the area but none as radiant as ours.

In the world it is hard to determine if some plant life is God created or man's hybrid. I have had several hybrid rose bushes and trees that eventually return to their natural state. One of them was a beautiful bare root with lavender roses. After two years it was a yellow centered rose with small red petals that were loose like a wild climber you might see on the side of a road. This happens often when grafting takes place in order to create a special flower. When that which was grafted in with the existing bare root loses its strength, the flower becomes what it was in the beginning.

But when the grafting is successful the old remains as part of the new foundation that has been laid; but it continues to be renewed because of the strength of the grafting. "A man shall not be established by wickedness; but the root of the righteous shall not be moved." Proverbs 12:3 When our old self joins in newness with God we become something beautiful; our existence has new potential to become all that God created us to be.

In Matthew 7:24b-25 Jesus talks about the wise man who built his house upon the rock and the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. "As the whirlwind passes, so is the wicked no more; but the righteous is an everlasting foundation." Proverbs 10:25 When we choose to hold onto what we have been given in Jesus Christ our foundation will remain firm; we will be grounded upon the rock.

"And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell; and great was the fall of it." Matthew 7:26-27

I am sure our Golden Chain Tree is a hybrid, but the grafting of the root took hold and even though it has great beauty today it probably will not last as long as the mighty oak that is planted by the streams of water. We wear gold rings; gold earrings; we buy gold as an investment and yet we overlook the fact that even though gold is an earthly material it will become glorified in heaven. Yes, in heaven! It is mentioned in Revelation 21:18 "And the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass!"

Meanwhile, I will enjoy our tree that sets just outside our diningroom window in all its splendor and majesty. It will cause me to think of the grandeur of heaven with all its precious stones; where there is no temple because both the Father and the Son will be present in all their glory. A place where there is no need of sun, neither the moon to shine for the glory of God will be all the light that is needed.

Can you imagine? Can you fix your mind on things above? Can you see yourself glorified in the heavenly places? Perhaps the Golden Chain Tree will be there, along with golden glass covered pathways strewn with God's love! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 6/10/10