The Trinity Tree

Anya inhaled the rich scent of the woods. She loved these weekly hikes to various parks in Michigan with her homeschool group. Remi and Taylor, two of her best friends, ran around her. "Come on, Anya, race you to that dune!"The three friends looked over the shimmering waters of Lake Michigan as they waited for the group to catch up. After a rest and snack on the beach, the homeschoolers headed back into the thick of the woods. Anya stopped suddenly and gasped. "Guys! Look at this awesome tree!" This particular tree had a wide base that morphed into three separate trees two feet up. The kids all took turns standing in the middle of the three portions of the tree on its base. Remi, Taylor, and Anya could fit in the tree at the same time, and they each leaned back against their own section."This tree reminds me of the Trinity," Anya said thoughtfully. "What's that?" Remi questioned. "Well, the word Trinity isn't in the Bible, but it means that God is one God with three Persons--kind of like how this tree has three trunks." Anya shrugged. "At least, that's the way I picture it. My mom says it's hard to understand the Trinity because our human minds can't totally grasp it.""I know about God the Father and Jesus the Son, but what's the third part of the Trinity?" asked Taylor."The Holy Spirit," Anya answered. "Remember when Jesus went back to heaven after His resurrection? Before He went, He told His disciples and other people that He would leave His Spirit to be with them always and to comfort them and remind them of everything He said.""Mom said when we belong to Jesus, His Spirit guides us through the truth of the Bible and helps us through hard times," Remi said.Taylor ran her fingers over the tree's bark. "This tree is one tree, but with three unified parts--just like how God is one God with three Persons." "It's always been a little mind-bending to me, but seeing this tree helps me understand," Anya noted. "Let's name it the Trinity tree," Remi suggested with a grin. "Photo-op!" Taylor yelled as her mom aimed her phone camera at them. "Say trini-tree!"–Savannah Coleman