A ferocious storm rushed through our neighborhood, arriving with force and leaving debris scattered to and fro. Hurricane force winds tossed trash cans from yard to yard and landed them in the street. Decorative flags became battered as they whipped back and forth trying to hold on to their pole. Definitely a scary experience for people and animals.
After the wind stopped howling and the air was calm again, I glanced outside my home office window to see the aftermath of the storm. One of the first things to catch my attention was a long, thin branch dangling from the top of a very tall pine tree. The branch had broken off from another tree and while moving through the air during the storm, found a new home. Settling itself on the adjacent pine tree, the limb has stayed in the same position for months.
I have watched the limb sway to the left and then, to the right, during other storms. Each day, I expect to look out of the window and find this dangling limb gone from sight. I am amazed to find the limb still there, in the same position, after every storm.
This broken pine tree limb reminds me how we “dangle” in our faith at times, swaying back and forth, but still trying to hold on to protection. Have you ever made a bad decision when you know what you should be doing? Have you ever put your faith aside in order to do something for self instead of standing firm in sharing your faith? Have you ever felt like you were “dangling” in the air?
Yes, we are human. Yes, we make mistakes. I am comforted by knowing even when I make bad decisions and/or put aside sharing my faith, God forgives me. He waits with open arms for us to reach for Him. At times I may feel like a tree limb dangling in the air. What a comfort to know when I fall, He catches me, always.
Have a blessed 2019! Know that God loves you and is always with you. Be sure to watch out for those dangling tree limbs… 🙂
Blessings,
Mimi
Love this post, Melissa. Great analogy between the limb dangling in the air and our faith as its tossed about in life’s storms.
Thank you Ellen. Have a blessed day! 🙂
Beautiful reminder of God’s eternal love for us, Melissa. Happy New Year! <3
Amen. God’s love for us is eternal. Happy New Year! 🙂
Great word!! Thanks for the reminder of God’s Grace and love.
Thank you so much! Have a blessed day! 🙂
Grace. Nicely written. Happy New Year! 🙂
Thank you Kathy. Have a wonderful, blessed day!
Great reminder! Happy New Year, Melissa!
Thank you Gail. Happy New Year! 🙂
Excellent reminder to keep holding on, Praise the Lord he catches us if we fall. Have a marvellous New Year. God bless you xx
Thank you. Have a blessed New Year! 🙂
What a beautiful, comforting and uplifting post, Mimi. Wishing you all the best for a healthy, happy New Year – I hope 2019 is a good one for you 🙂
Caz xx
Thank you so much! Happy, Healthy and Blessed New Year to you! 🙂
Such a lovely reminder of God’s faithfulness. Happy New Year and here is to many blessings in 2019!
Amen. God’s faithfulness is endless. His blessings are forever. Happy New Year! 🙂
I’m so glad He forgives us because I mess up all.the.time!
Me, too. I am thankful for His mercy and forgiveness. Have a blessed day! 🙂
What a great analogy. It is so exciting to know that despite the many times we “dangle” and waver in our faith, God, always the gracious gentleman, will draw us near despite our failures. PTL. Thank you for your lovely observations.
We are truly blessed by His love and forgiveness. 🙂 Have a blessed, wonderful day!
We had the same winds! My husband drove his truck around picking up wood for our stove. And his roof repair business is humming along now. The wind can be so damaging, but I love the sound of it hitting our house in the dark. Sounds like God’s hand somehow. In a way, we are all the dangling branch. The wind of His hand will someday carry us home. God bless! Happy New Year!
Yes, in some ways, we are all the dangling branch. 🙂 Have a wonderful, blessed evening! 🙂
Makes me remember that sometimes we are just hanging by a thread. I’m thankful for God’s grace. What a great message today Melissa!
Thank you Vickie! Have a blessed evening! 🙂
I hope I’m not a “dangling tree limb” but one that’s grafted into the Divine Branch, the One who steadies my soul.
Great word pictures, Melissa! Happy New Year to you, too!
Amen. He steadies my soul. 🙂 Have a blessed day!
Beautifully said. Thank God we always have our savior to catch us when we dangle and fall!
Amen. I am thankful He always catches us. Have a blessed day! 🙂
I love the insights you see in and analogies you make from the everyday things of life. You are very creative, Melissa! 🙂
Thank you Marcie. 🙂 Have a blessed weekend!
Such a great and interesting analogy, Melissa. Your words painted the imagery perfectly helping me visualize the scene and the limb. I sure relate to dangling in my faith and worried about falling, too. But glad the Lord does catch us with open arms!
I am truly comforted knowing He catches me when I fall. Have a blessed weekend! 🙂
I loved your reminder that we need to always hold on to God and He will get us through
Thank you Yvonne. Have a blessed weekend. 🙂
Hi Melissa. Great illustration. There are times when I feel like that tree limb. Not so much walking away from God, but certainly ignoring Him sometimes. I’m thankful for His mercy and open arms. What a wonderful God we serve.
Yes, I feel at times like I am ignoring God. I, too, am thankful for His mercy and open arms. He loves us forever. Have a blessed weekend! 🙂
I’m so thankful God is there to catch me. Thank you for your encouraging words.
I am thankful that God is always there to catch me, too. Have a blessed weekend! 🙂
I’m so thankful for God’s steadfast love. I read in my Bible this moring that God’s love endures forever. Oh, praise the Lord!!!
Amen. His love is forever. We are truly blessed to be His. Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
Hey, Mimi. I do know what it’s like to dangle. I think I’ve been in a season of dangling recently. We moved from our home where we had friends and great Christian community. It’s been a tough road, but God is slowly building us back up. It’s just a matter of us waiting and being patient with his leading.
I understand Chip. We moved from VA to SC in 2017, to be near son, daughter-in-love and first grandchild. We were comfortable in VA and had lived there for a long, long time. Moving to SC meant finding a place to live, a new church, new doctors, etc. We have learned more about alligators than we ever thought we would learn. haha! We decided to “bloom where we are planted”. My husband and I have become involved by volunteering in church and the community. We are still learning about the area and we know God is leading us on the path He has for us. Praying for you and your family. Have a blessed weekend! 🙂
Great illustration, Melissa. So grateful for God’s grace when we dangle and fall, that He’s always there waiting with open arms to embrace us when we turn back to Him.
Yes, I agree. I am so grateful for God’s grace. 🙂 He picks me up when I fall down. Have a blessed weekend!
Sounds like quite a storm! I have had times of feeling like that danging limb. It is comforting to know that God is with me though -through every storm and especially when I am weak. 😉
Amen. There is comfort knowing God is always with us. 🙂 Have a blessed weekend!
I love your analogy, dear Mimi. It reminds me of John 15 where Jesus tells His disciples that He is the vine and His Father the vinedresser. May we branches cling closely to the vine for spiritual life as we go through the storms of life. He will never let us go. Blessings on your New Year, sweet friend. xoxo
Thank you Karen. Yes, I pray we branches cling closely to Him. 🙂 Have a blessed week dear friend.
So thought provoking and such a great encouragement to start the year. Sometimes people try to pull us into their bad decisions. And it is learning how to say no too. Will remember the ‘dangling limbs’.
Thank you. 🙂 Have a wonderful week!
Thank you for sharing this powerful spiritual image. I think we’ve all been branches dangling from a tree before. It’s such a comfort to know we aren’t doomed to fall away and die.
Amen. We are not doomed to fall away and die because we have hope in Him. Have a blessed week! 🙂
Yeah, I can definitely see the truth in all this. Hope you had a good New Year.
Happy New Year! Have a blessed week! 🙂
Same to you!
Oh yes! Definitely been there. Currently it feels like my branch is very heavy and bent under a heavy weight. Yet, won’t let go….