“Dangling from an Orange Tree”
© By Chris Schneider
It had never happened to me before, but there I hung, just nine years old and dangling helplessly from the limb of an old orange tree in my back yard at 3:30 in the afternoon. I was stuck alright, with my cherished and now errant blue skirt fast becoming my hated enemy.
I had climbed high up into that tree – probably 20 feet off the ground. The trouble was, there was no one around to respond to my cries for help, or even to sense the growing terror rising within my heart.
But there I hung anyway, with green orange tree residue quickly spreading all over my hands and clothes and no where to go except straight down. I just knew I was in for a crash landing - if I ever got unstuck, that is. Trust me when I tell you, it was not my idea of a good day.
I know. I know. I should have changed into shorts beforehand. But that was not what my nine year old mind was thinking about when a cool spring afternoon began calling my name. I threw caution to the wind. Again.
The annoying thing about my sudden predicament was that in the past I had always enjoyed this special limb without a problem ever coming my way. It was a favorite spot, a savored afternoon place where I literally hung out all the time.
I knew the tree well. Often, I would happily scale the trunk with both hands quickly finding their favorite niche on a nearby limb. Swinging back and forth, I would enjoy the thrill of gaining speed and height with each pass, just like a trapeze artist. Only I wasn’t one. Finally, I would release my grasp and fall effortlessly to a quiet earth. I loved it.
On that particular afternoon, however, just as school let out, I made my way up the base of the orange tree and quickly climbed upward like a monkey, skirt and all. After all, I had done this hundreds of times before. I never thought once about how the back of that skirt might get snagged and interrupt my fun. Monkeys don’t usually have problems like this.
There I was though, as time ticked away slowly, my hands growing weary with each passing minute, and fear losing no time taking up residence in my heart. What would happen to me if I just released myself entirely to an unknown outcome? I didn’t even want to think about that, and instead decided to hold on tightly for a wee bit longer.
Needless to say, I learned a lot about time and eternity that day.
Finally, I heard the sound of my father’s white Pontiac
“DAD!!!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.
To this day, I can still see my father breaking into lightning speed as he sprinted toward the backyard. (There was a definite reason why this man had become a great coach.)
When Dad made it to the orange tree, he lost no time looking up at me, his youngest child, and quickly assessed the situation. He also saw raw fear and exhaustion written all over my face.
At once he told me to release my hands from the orange tree limb. “Don’t worry. I’m here to catch you.” His voice was reassuring.
So I let go, straight into the arms of my dad who carefully caught me. No more worries of a broken leg, a gash to my head, or worse, a possible broken arm. I was safe.
And the skirt? Well, let’s just say I never wore it again. Good riddance.
A number of decades have passed since that unforgettable day from my childhood. Needless to say, I’ve had some time to think about the incident a time or two.
What have I learned from that unexpected afternoon? Well, God is like our father. He faithfully shows up when we are headed for a crash. And He is great at picking us up when we fall down. His arms, open and everlasting, are always there for those who find themselves dangling from the complications and challenges life throws their way.
And when life sends a person up a tree, it’s so reassuring to know that God is right there every time - ready, willing, and waiting to catch us when we call out to Him.
~~~
• “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”
(Deuteronomy 33:27)
No comments:
Post a Comment