• Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Legal Information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Speaking
  • Healthy Spirituality Store
  • Resources
  • Bio
  • Healthy Spirituality Gift Guide

How the Symbol of a Tree Healed My Brokenness

July 28, 2015 By Jean Wise

healthyspirituality.org

On retreat last year I talked with the spiritual director about my continual struggle between my head and my heart. Sometimes it felt like a tug of war going on within me. Like I was two people – a split personality. I felt like I lived in either one place or the other, no peace.

She asked me if I could describe how I felt in an image. After awhile I told her a hourglass. Two parts with a constriction in between. We sat silently as I pondered the meaning of that symbol.

healthyspirituality.org

Quietly she suggested that I ask God for the gift of a new image if that would help heal the broken connection within me.

Later in the day I did ask God if he could show me a new way to think about my clashing infighting for dominance. Why couldn’t these two children get along? Help me Lord bring them together. Help me find wholeness.

I have always loved trees. I have been drawn to stories about them; verses about them. Lessons in their different seasons.

The scales fell from my eyes and my heart opened: A tree!

Like the image of the tree above this post: the roots reflect my heart – growing deeper into God’s love and way, nourishing the rest of the tree and anchoring its life in good times and bad.

The branches symbolize my head – ever reaching upward in praise, words, writing, love for God. The leave nourishing the roots taking in the Son.

The trunk acts as the conduit – not a rope in a tug of war – but the means to feed each other and communicate in a flow, sometimes even a rush of compassion, tenderness and interconnectedness. A healthy two-way cooperative movement working together for the sake of a single soul.

Thank you, Lord.

United.

Oneness.

Wholeness.

I hadn’t thought much about that healing day on the retreat until the other day when I read the following quote. 

THE WISDOM OF A TREE

A tree is a perfect presence. It is somehow able to engage and integrate its own dissolution. The tree is wise in knowing how to foster its own loss. It does not become haunted by the loss nor addicted to it. The tree shelters and minds the loss.

Out of this comes the quiet dignity and poise of a tree’s presence.

Trees stand beautifully on the clay. They stand with dignity. A life that wishes to honour its own possibility has to learn too how to integrate the suffering of dark and bleak times into a dignity of presence. Letting go of old forms of life, a tree practises hospitality towards new forms of life. It balances the perennial energies of winter and spring within its own living bark. 

The tree is wise in the art of belonging.

The tree teaches us how to journey.

Too frequently our inner journeys have no depth. We move forward feverishly into new situations and experiences which neither nourish nor challenge us, because we have left our deeper selves behind. It is no wonder that the addiction to superficial novelty leaves us invariably empty and weary.

Much of our experience is literally superficial; it slips deftly from surface to surface. It lacks rootage.

The tree can reach towards the light, endure wind, rain, and storm, precisely because it is rooted. Each of its branches is ultimately anchored in a reliable depth of clay.

The wisdom of the tree balances the path inwards with the pathway outwards.

~ John O’Donohue

What do you think? Do you have a symbol that helps you in your spiritual walk?

PS. If you haven’t taken my 2015 Readers Survey I would love to have your feedback about this blog. Your input is important to me. The survey is easy to fill out, and the results are completely anonymous. I can’t tell who said what.

The survey will be open until August 2. Thank you so much.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SXKHFMX

Share this post:

Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn Share on Email

Filed Under: spiritual lessons

Comments

  1. blankLisaSmith93 says

    July 30, 2015 at 12:15 pm

    Love love love this!!! I also love how God uses the tree to represent the sinner as Eve eats in Eden, the Savior as Jesus dies
    at Calvary & the saint as believers eat from the tree of life in heaven. From Genesis to Revelation, broken beginning to redemptive eternity the tree is there.

    • blankJean Wise says

      July 31, 2015 at 9:50 pm

      How cool you brought in the idea of other ways God uses trees. That really touched my heart. Thanks Lisa!

  2. blankJennifer Dougan says

    July 29, 2015 at 1:17 pm

    Hi Jean,

    Nice to meet you. I’m popping over from Lisa Notes’ site.

    Thanks for this insight into the tree as metaphor for your wrestling duos.

    Jennifer Dougan
    http://www.jenniferdougan.com

    • blankJean Wise says

      July 29, 2015 at 6:11 pm

      Thanks for stopping by. I just visited your lovely blog too.

  3. blankMartha Orlando says

    July 28, 2015 at 12:31 pm

    The tree is a perfect image, Jean! So happy to know it worked so well for you. Blessings!

    • blankJean Wise says

      July 29, 2015 at 6:04 pm

      Thanks Martha. The tree has been a great image for me. Blessings

  4. blankNancy Ruegg says

    July 28, 2015 at 11:40 am

    Wonderful post, Jean. How delightful that God gave you a new symbol rich with application. Trees teach us a myriad of life-lessons, don’t they! I have to chime in with Lisa–I’ve never given thought to a symbol for my own life. Definitely something to consider!

    • blankJean Wise says

      July 29, 2015 at 6:03 pm

      I love the imagery of trees and so fitting for my spirituality. Do pray about this . Our wonderful amazing God may just surprise you with a new gift!

  5. blankLisa notes... says

    July 28, 2015 at 11:17 am

    What a beautiful symbol of unity. I strive to get rid of that duality within myself too. I don’t I have a symbol though for myself; I need to think and pray on that. Thanks, Jean.

    • blankJean Wise says

      July 29, 2015 at 6:02 pm

      Yes do pray about an image for you, Lisa. It has been a powerful healing for me. Blessings

Healthy Spirituality – a sacred space to nurture your faith, grow closer to God, and belong to a community, walking together on life’s journey. This blog is written by author, speaker and retreat leader Jean Wise

blank Read More…

Subscribe to Healthy Spirituality and learn more about spiritual practices such as prayer

This book will help you as you plan and attend a spiritual retreat

blankblank

Let’s Connect!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest

Search This Blog

Categories

Copyright © 2023 Lifestyle Theme · Genesis Framework by StudioPress Themes · Blog Set-Up By Blogelina