Naked

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“It stole the oak tree’s leaves away.”

Does this mean the tree was naked?

I imagine the leaves on the tree were much like clothing.
Every season the tree gets a new wardrobe! And yet in the cold of winter it is stripped of all its leaves and left bare.

Now, I don’t know about you but
I HATE even wearing a swimsuit around other people. I can’t imagine standing around others while being buck naked!! And yet if I compare myself to the Oak, that is what I would be! How vulnerable I would feel. My first instinct would probably be to curl up in a ball! Or, perhaps turn around and run!!! But despite these feelings, the Oak stands its ground.

Sometimes the wind strips us naked (so to speak). I find it very interesting that
in these moments of vulnerability, I am most teachable.

I also greatly
learn from others who share of these moments in their life. Perhaps I will be able to endure something ahead because of strength I have gained from someone else who was willing to share their vulnerability and the teachable moment that was a result.

Or, perhaps I would be able to make a wiser choice and if possible avoid an avoidable circumstance.  And even more, perhaps I would feel like I am not alone in my nakedness.

This is the beauty of sharing our “Oak Tree” experiences. I appreciate all who have so personally and tenderly shared a part of your soul. While we aren’t always able to express the degree it has helped, rest assured your words (however put) have touched others hearts.

2 comments:

Lil' Acorn said...

It's interesting how people can interpret things differently. I liked what you said about the leaves being stripped away and likening it to becoming vulnerable. That is so true! When I first saw your question about "does this mean the tree is naked?" it made me laugh, but it also made me think of what that meant to me. To me, the stripping away of the leaves could be us getting rid of those things in our lives that are weighing us down. Now, granted a leave does not weigh a tree down, but if we liken those leaves to bad feelings such as hate, anger, jealousy or even sin then we see that sometimes we need to shed those leaves. We need to get rid of those things and start anew. By shedding those leaves we can help nourish our soul, because those bad feelings are like a poison to our soul. We need to strip away the leaves that are poisoning us and drink of the goodness of life to bring back the beautiful leaves that will help nourish us and bring us joy.

Mamma Mia said...

I really like your interpretation lil' Acorn. Picturing the leaves as a symbol for things weighing us down. Surely one leaf isn't going to harm us! While I may find myself saying this occasionally about certain "leafs" in my life. The image of all of the leaves make a clear impression on my mind of how things really do weigh on us even if they don't seem that big or heavy. hmmmmm. I remember learning in my psychology class how nature represents many of God's teachings. (My teacher was obviously God-fearing). How true that is! The Oak Tree leaves are a perfect example of so many things. And I really appreciate your thoughts on it! More to think about.

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