The Storms of Change

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="17b72723.gif"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" Crooked Pines Ministries"><U><IMG SRC="040bf930.gif" border=0 width="191" height="147" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id55.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Glance at Reading Readiness"><U>A Glance at Reading Readiness</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id65.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Look at Peppermint and Slippery Elm Ba"><U>A Look at Peppermint and Slippery Elm Bark</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id105.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Pleasing Palette"><U>A Pleasing Palette</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id62.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Treasure So Fine!"><U>A Treasure So Fine!</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id56.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Amazing Grace or Flaming Rebellion"><U>Amazing Grace or Flaming Rebellion</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id43.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Aunt Bettys BBQ Sauce"><U>Aunt Betty's BBQ Sauce</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id146.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Back to School"><U>Back to School</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id41.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Beginnings of Habit"><U>The Beginnings of Habit</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id68.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Being Poured Out"><U>Being Poured Out</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id44.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Broccoli Chicken Casserole"><U>Broccoli - Chicken Casserole</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id57.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Building Habits on the Dry Bones of Educ"><U>Building Habits on the Dry Bones of Education</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id144.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Choosing Curriculum for the new year"><U>Choosing Curriculum for the new year</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id69.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Comforter: the Fabric of Our Lives"><U>The Comforter: the Fabric of Our Lives</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id71.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dwelling in Safety"><U>Dwelling in Safety</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id127.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fall: The Season of Change"><U>Fall: The Season of Change</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id77.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fighting Burnout with Scriptural Promise"><U>Fighting Burnout with Scriptural Promises</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id63.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="For the Love of Ginger"><U>For the Love of Ginger</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id45.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="From Claddagh, Ireland to Florence, AL "><U>From Claddagh, Ireland to Florence, AL - A Covenant Journey Part 1</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id46.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="From Claddagh, Ireland to Florence, AL "><U>From Claddagh, Ireland to Florence, AL - A Pure Vessel Part 2</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Get Ye unto Your Tents... and REST!"><U>Get Ye unto Your Tents... and REST!</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id58.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Habit of Dawdling, The Cure"><U>The Habit of Dawdling, The Cure</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Happy is the Mom Who Puts Her Trust in t"><U>Happy is the Mom Who Puts Her Trust in the Lord</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id72.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Have You Been Working Out?"><U>Have You Been Working Out?</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id79.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="His Love"><U>His Love</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id118.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Home Educators and their Books"><U>Home Educators and their Books</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id83.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Homeschooling... 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Woodis</B></U></A></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> The Storms of Change</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.hisimage.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.hisimage.org"><U><IMG SRC="05193950.jpg" border=0 width="147" height="149" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> Chapter 7</div> <div> The Storms of Change</div> <div>  </div> <div> Excerpted from </div> <div> "Oakie of the Oak Tree, </div> <div> A Parable of an Acorn" </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="66fca460.jpg" border=0 width="202" height="326" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> At the end of the day Oakie’s mother tree ceased her whispering. The day was well advanced toward evening. A warm, gentle breeze had began to rock the branch that Oakie was clinging to and Oakie was soothed by the words of his parent tree and soon fell asleep. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="17f1e240.gif" border=0 width="30" height="36" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> During the night the wind began to increase. Oakie was awakened by the sound of the wind moaning through the trees. On awakening, Oakie noticed that the wind was no longer warm but a decided chill had crept in and there were ice pellets in the gale also. With each gust of wind, Oakie felt a separation occurring between his twig and the branch he was attached to. Already he could hear great branches crashing to the ground as the trees where thrown together by the gale. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="17f1e240.gif" border=0 width="30" height="36" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>A Violent Separation</B></div> <bR> <div> With the next great gust of wind, Oakie was ripped from his parent tree and blown to the ground. Fortunately there was a deep bed of leaves on the ground and his fall did not crack his outer shell. With a shock Oakie realized that it wasn’t just acorns and leaves on the ground around him, but the whole branch he had been clinging to was on the ground. His mother tree was being ripped apart by the vicious storm. It seemed the wind was laughing at the damage it was doing. There seemed to be no end to the howling and devastation it was doing. As the storm continued to rage, three inches of ice were piled on top of our little friend. It was several days before the nor’easter blew itself out to sea. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="17f1e240.gif" border=0 width="30" height="36" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> A gradual warming trend followed the nor’easter and Oakie was released from his bed of ice. Instead of comforting him, it seemed to awaken the old fears of being eaten by deer, birds and squirrels before he could grow to become a tree. Now that his mother tree had been so badly damaged it was even more important to him that he grow into a mighty oak, just as she had been. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="17f1e240.gif" border=0 width="30" height="36" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>The Sweet Voice of the Comforter</B></div> <bR> <div> This time, however, instead of dwelling on his fears Oakie heard a still, small voice repeating the words of his parent tree. Oh, the comfort that these beautiful assurances brought to his small heart. Whatever life brought his way; Oakie knew that it would all work out for his good, just as his mother tree had told him. God had been so good to give him time to learn the wisdom of his mother, before she had been destroyed by the storm and wind. Over the winter, Oakie was moved several times by hungry squirrels, birds and raccoons. Each time the old fears surfaced and each time they were conquered with those gentle words of that still, small voice. </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> This article is copyrighted by Mary E. Woodis. If you would like to print this article in whole or part in your publication you need to contact us at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#003300" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="mailto:jessiew@hiwaay.net" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:jessiew@hiwaay.net"><U>jessiew@hiwaay.net</U></A><A HREF="mailto:jessiew@hiwaay.net" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:jessiew@hiwaay.net"><U> </U></A></FONT>for permission and more details.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Page last updated July 2004</B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="#crooked_pines_publishing" TITLE="The Storms of Change"><U>Back to the top</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>