If A Tree Falls In The Forest...

…and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?  This quote, attributed to George Berkely, an Anglo-Irish philosopher, 1685-1783, questions the material world and our perceptions of it. Without getting into the propagation of sound waves and whether or not we exist (Of course we do, who do you think is reading this?), the fact remains that trees fall all the time in the forest.

In a survival situation, some of the things that we try to avoid when setting up camp are dead trees or dead limbs. They are referred to as “Widow Makers” for a reason. In his book, The Search, Tom Brown Jr. relates an incident where for some unknown reason during inclement weather he felt compelled to climb up in a large oak tree “to ride the oak through the storm…”  For two nights he had slept at the base of that same tree in a leaf shelter. When the morning light arose, the oak had been stripped of all its Fall leaves and a “large branch that that had broken from the oak had fallen butt end, straight through the leaf hut I had slept in the past two nights. If I had stayed there, I would surely have been killed.” He climbed down from the tree to to take apart the shelter in order to recover his blanket and found that the limb had pierced through the blanket.

Now whether or not the limb was dead or not, he doesn’t say. But the truth is that in any situation, you need to be aware of the possible dangers of falling limbs and whole trees. In my own experience in the wilderness, I have been in a storm at night and heard whole trees crashing to the ground not far from camp and have been quite glad that I was careful to look overhead when setting up camp!

Spiritually speaking, to answer the question about whether or not a falling tree makes a sound, the answer is yes because God hears it! The Scripture tells us that not even a sparrow falls from a tree, but that God is aware of it. Matthew 10:29  So even when you are feeling abandoned, forsaken or alone, the Presence of God is always there. Whether you are in a survival situation or just a life situation, He is there to hear and help. The question is, will we acknowledge His Presence? And, will we humble ourselves and call out to Him in our struggle?  Storms will come, the wind will blow and the trunks and limbs of mighty trees will twist and shake and threaten to destroy us. That which comforted and brought shade and shelter in the day, can turn into the device of our destruction in the night. But not so with God, for when we seek shelter with him, He “is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble” Psalm 46:1 

So, when your storm comes, where will you find shelter? Under the limbs of a mighty oak tree or under the protection of a loving, Heavenly Father? He sees the sparrows, He hears the trees fall and He knows just how to help you!

Thanks for reading!

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James B

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