“A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.”
– Isaiah 11:2
I am sure you have all seen one.
An old stump.
All that is left of what was once a majestic tree.
Towering.
Beautiful.
Carving out/holding down its place in your yard or in the forest for a hundred years or more.
But then time and disease and storms took their toll.
All that is left of what once was is a stump.
Slowly becoming the earth that had, for so many years, given that wonderful tree life.
And, maybe you have seen this as well.
An old stump.
With a new shoot growing out of it or just alongside it.
Out of roots thought to be long dead.
Could it be, I wonder…
That this imagery woven into the wisdom of Isaiah
Is not just about Israel
Or not just some foretelling of Jesus,
But also about you and me.
A reminder of what might be and what is yet possible.
That out of those parts of our lives that sometimes feel dead…
Regrets.
Broken relationships.
Sorrow.
Stumps which are all that is left of what were once great dreams.
We can begin to look for…
Believe in…
New life that is to come.
How it happens I am not quite sure.
But, here we are and it is almost Christmas.
And, such is the promise of God.
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