Stand

Did anyone notice in the poem that the wind became weary?

How does Wind become weary?!!

I find it fascinating that the beginning sentence is about the oak tree holding its ground.

Holding our ground can be excruciatingly painful at times. Especially when you feel alone in your stance. But surely, there is truth to the statement “the weary wind.” Perhaps our persistence and our stronghold endurance help the wind to eventually weary and lose its grip on us.

We may wonder sometimes if the wind will let up. We wonder if we are doing the right thing. And most painful can be not knowing if we will be standing when it is through.

And yet, something deep within me tells me there is a true principle to this statement. Through it all the oak is still standing. The wind is weary. The wind has exhausted all its creativity in knocking this oak over. The oak is using one formula: Stand.

I picture the wind as a person looking all frazzled, tongue sticking out from thirst, Face red from blowing, shoulders hunched staring at the oak with desperation saying unbelievably, “How can you still be standing Oak?” Seriously!!!

The poem doesn’t talk about how long the wind blew. But it does describe it was so powerful to steal every leaf away. And most importantly, in the end, the oak was still standing. Broken limbs, snapped boughs, stolen leaves and all.

One of my favorite quotes by Thomas Jefferson states:

“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.”

Whatever your stance may be. As long as we feel the guiding hand of our Heavenly Father, stand, endure and eventually the wind will become weary.