Under an Elm Tree
Everyone has times in their lives that are trying and difficult. They come and they go. Sometimes, they endure for much longer than we would like. Our time is not always God's time. When I was a little boy, our farm lane was lined with wonderful, straight, tall elm trees. Far above, they reached their crowns towards each other over the lane, and met in a majestic arch that shaded out the sun, and made the lane a cool oasis from the hot summer heat. There always seemed to be a gentle breeze blowing in their lofty foliage, and it made a soothing sound, which made them such a pleasure to walk through. Haying time was a fast paced race to get done, but we always slowed down coming through that long elm tree arch, and let their cool, natural air conditioning refresh us. Wild strawberries grew at their feet, and their sweetness would waft up to our noses, as the cool breezes danced around and caressed us. Those trees made an otherwise poor farm life better. There was something abou...