Singer Songwriter Rob Tobias sings an original song inspired by a story written by Dr. Royce Jones. For comments email: rob@robtobias.com
PARABLE OF THE TREE
There was once a man who took the seed from a tiny tree, and
planted it in the ground. A stranger came by, and saw him working, he said, “That tree will never grow.
The soil here is just too rough.”
But the man said, “The seed is strong.” Then another man came by, and said, “Other trees have been planted here, but they’ve all died.” “But I will water this tree,” the man replied, “while it’s young and tender,
And I’ll cover it and protect it from the cold.”
And so, the strangers went away, and the years passed.
and slowly, the roots took hold
At first the tree grew quickly, but then one bitter night, cold descended
upon the land and the winds blew. In spite of all the man’s efforts, the little tree was damaged, and the man wept
He wept for fear that the tree would not survive.
But on and on he labored, with great effort, supporting that tree
not knowing if it would be enough.
Another winter passed, & one day the man noticed a new strength in that tree, and there were signs that it was about to bloom.
And bloom it did! Its leaves sprouted, hanging gracefully from its limbs,
and it stood firm, against the wind.
In grateful joy, the man sat down under the tree and listened to the music made by the wind, blowing through its branches,
And he marveled at the protection, the tree gave him, from the heat of the sun. “How glad I am that I found that seed and planted it and tended to it.
At that moment, one of the strangers, who’d scoffed at the man’s endeavors happened by and said, “I remember when this tree was planted. You know, I never thought it would survive.”
He said, If the man who planted that tree were here today,
I’d tell him how wrong I was.” “I am that man,” said the man who’d planted the tree.” And as he rose from the tree and approached the stranger, “You?”, the stranger said, Looking him up and down.
“Why, you’re nothing like the man who planted the tree.
Your body is thick and strong and your skin is tanned and tough
from the wind and sun. And the way you walk with such confidence and grace.”
“Yes,” said the man who’d planted the tree. “All the time I’ve been tending the tree, The tree has been tending to me.”
The tree has been tending to me.”
