High Upon That Hillside...

My husband & I moved to Texas a number of years ago & not long after we were settled into our new home I looked at Blair, who was around 8 months old & said, “C’mon Blair, lets go out & get a life today!” And that is just what we did! I was incredibly blessed by the meeting of one of my best, most dear friends Jamie that day when I was invited to attend a MOPS meeting in Flower Mound, TX. It’s been 7 years & I never knew that I could have such a friend as I have in Jamie, my “sister separated at birth”! Our family stories & personality traits are freakishly so similar it just doesn’t seem possible that we haven’t known each other our whole lives! Chris & I moved back to Kentucky but we talk almost every day, we often can’t make decisions without the help of the other & the distance is painful, but it has only made our friendship that much stronger! Recently Jamie was approached to speak in front of a group of women & as we discussed her impending message, an overwhelming urge stirred in me to add something to this monumental day that was fast approaching. I am still finishing her necklace so the image is something similar to give you an idea but the story tells the rest!

 Dear Jamie,

As I reflect on what I want to share with you, a favorite story of mine keeps popping up, “Tale Of Three Trees”. I have included something I made especially for you which holds such symbolism that I figured the Lord is paralleling in our stories.

I hand stamped the disk with something very special. Its surface holds 2 trees full of blooms and possibilities, birds that rest in their delight. These trees stand together upon a hillside so strong and sure. They have a bond like no other, a friendship so unconditional and true. The sun rises and sets around them as the days pass by. One defuses the other from the bright early morning light while the other shades her friend from the rays of the hot afternoon sun. Their days together are special and while they may stand firm high up on that hillside, they still must endure the view of the valleys too. They weather storms of many kinds, one leaning on the other as strong winds challenge them to a dual, pressuring them from one side to the other but still they stand strong and mighty! Cold winter nights brings chatter of the impending spring days and its offering of warmth and comfort in the thought of their fresh blooms filling their branches. While cold winds take their breath away, they wouldn’t trade the quiet of snowfall, the beauty of fresh powder covering the surface below. Spring showers bring companionship with bright May flowers but not before thunderstorms threaten their deeply grounded roots, Alarm sets in as heavy rainfall is quickly absorbed into the soil and fear of their roots breaking free is only temporary as their faith is a reminder of their promised safety. See, long ago, their presence was carefully planned. With large, yet gentile, father like hands they were placed deep below the surface of the earth with an important purpose. There is no doubt; nothing can bring these two trees down. Spring tempts to be their favorite as they witness the birth of new life all around. How proud they are to offer safety to baby birds nestled in the camouflage of her leaves anxiously await their mama with hungry bellies. They enjoy the tickles of squirrels quickly dancing across their branches in their sing song sort of way, as they go about their mission for nourishment. Their limbs are so full, so lush that if you fail to look closely, it’s impossible to determine where one tree ends and the other begins. Alas the days of summer arrive and cause their hearts to spill over as they relish the sweet sounds of little giggles and the feel of children climbing and swinging from their branches, Oh how peaceful is the quiet as loved ones nap in her shade. The days are long and filled with much happiness and activity. Before long, as if it were just yesterday, the brilliant colors of autumn arrive and paint stories of thanksgiving across the hillside. Their leaves will begin to drop soon, as they were intended to do, revealing their bark which acts as a road map of stories that have been fashioned in their presence. There is no denying the smell of the campfires warmth late into fall evenings. Oh how time flies watching children pop from towering piles of leaves or the whispers of thankfulness speaking through the cool breeze. Yes! Life is quite grand standing there as two, growing in their stillness.
The seasons come and go, year after year, and through it all, the two trees stand strong and tall, for they know, by doing so they will be pointing all that will see, to the one who placed them together many years ago, high upon that hillside, their Father.
In closing, I came across a quote that my mother gave me that I believe CAN “nutshell” such a journey:

“She not only saw the light at the end of the tunnel, she became that light for others.”

May you continue to allow God to work in you and thru you, to be a light for all those who thought they could never be brave enough to stand high on that hillside and share their story because after all, we really can do all things thought Christ! I love you dear friend!

In Him,
Sarah