Like A Tree

I think that anyone that I stay connected with, or probably mostly just follows my blog to see what's going on in my life probably notices that I end up on this page a lot. It seems to be at least once a year (sometimes multiple times a year) I end up meditating on the tree. And I notice this in myself. It used to bug me. I used to feel ashamed and insecure, until one day I heard a sermon at North Central (and I'm ashamed to admit that her name escapes me and I went to track down her name, but she no longer works at NCU) and the sermon was all about how often the Lord takes us to the same place over and over again. As we enter new stages in life we often have to venture through the same lessons, because we have to learn them in a new way.
T.S. Elliot once wrote "We must not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began and to know it for the first time." Life is cyclical, continuing to rebirth us from on state of understanding, wisdom, and knowledge into the next. We are continually be called into the adventure of the unknown and yet being rebirthed into the same lessons we once learned, just learning them in a new way. I think that's what Paul meant when he said,
"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV). With each veil that is removed from our eyes, we discover a new depth and greatness to the Lord, and learn how to trust him in new ways. But the way we learn in each phase of glory tends to bring us to the same lessons. It may present itself differently, but the core is the same and used to strengthen us.
So what does this have to do with trees? Well, I was watching "Bones" on Netflix the other day (actually I watch this show a lot. Sometimes you just need a break during nap time). And they find this dead guy that has been wrapped inside the roots of this tree. Anyway, they go to cut down the tree to determine cause of death. And why do they do this? Because the rings on the tree will be darkest on the year it is greatly nourished (in other words, find the darkest ring, you find the year the dead guy died). Dr. Hodgens also educates the audience that the rings show you when it was a hard year. When their was a storm. (And who said TV is uneducational and will rot your brains) Yet with every year a new ring is formed, the tree is stronger, and better equipped to withstand the next season.
Like trees, with go through seasons over and over again, yet with each time a lesson is confronted, we have another ring to help us withstand. The struggle may look and feel the same, yet the truth is we are stronger and better equipped to stand during the storm.
So if you're like me and find yourself in the same place over and over, have faith, don't beat yourself up. More than likely you haven't  fallen, if you're truly seeking the Lord and your desire is to follow him, you've probably just cycled and are on your way to greater depths.