The Old Tree

The screen door creaked and slammed shut as Vivian came out and hopped onto the porch swing next to her father. Dad yawned. "What a day!" he said. "Things at work are changing faster than I can keep up with them." Vivian glanced up when her father mentioned change. "Anything interesting happen at school?" asked Dad."Actually…" Vivian paused as she gazed at a big gnarled moss-covered tree in their yard. "Remember when I told you Mr. Conners doesn't seem to believe in God?" Dad nodded. "Well, today he said truth is always changing. He said what was true for my parents or friends might not be true for me. He said that as people change, so does truth." Vivian sighed. "That kind of has me confused. It doesn't seem right to me."For a moment, Dad didn't answer, and Vivian wondered if he'd heard her. He pushed the swing a little higher with his foot and pointed to the old tree. "Look over there at the tree," he said. "Do you see what it's doing?"Vivian frowned. "No."He made the swing go higher still. "The whole tree is moving--all the way down to its roots!" He gave the swing another huge push. "Look at it go!"Vivian finally got what he meant. "Dad!" she exclaimed. "The tree isn't moving--we are!""Right," said Dad, "and truth is like that tree. To say that truth changes is like saying that tree is moving, even though it's been anchored in that spot since before you or I were born."He pushed the porch swing a bit higher and Vivian giggled. "In the Bible, Jesus calls Himself the truth," Dad continued. "He offers us a new way of living, a life overflowing with His love, truth, and grace.""I learned a verse at church that says Jesus never changes," said Vivian."That's right," said Dad. "Jesus--the truth--is always the same, and His words remain true forever. People's beliefs may go back and forth. Opinions may change. But truth never changes. God's Word is just as true today as it was thousands of years ago, and its truth applies to our lives now just as it did to people back then." Vivian looked at their burly tree. "I'll pray that God would help Mr. Connors understand the truth about Jesus too."–Dawn Yrene