If you are feeling a bit frayed by the swirling of events and opinions, my prayer is that this will be an oasis to pull you, and me, into the only truly safe place. Let’s enter into the love of our Creator in a fresh way today. Yes, this is a re-post from years ago, fortunately, the Word in eternal.
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I took this photo near Assisi, Italy over ten years ago. It is just up the hill from Poor Clare’s Convent. Her order was the female version of St. Francis of Assisi. But that is not the story for today.
It was one of those mornings that began with misty fog. As I made my way up the cobblestone road beside the convent to this olive grove the sun was beginning to burn off. The air was clear, but the grove was still damp with the mist. Partial sun made the leaves glisten as if they were silver. Needless to say I began snapping photos. These three tress in particular captured my attention. I see them dancing a gracious, long-term, knowing dance of relationship. They are firmly planted. At their age I can only imagine their root systems are deeply intertwined, making them stronger together.
It wasn’t until weeks later when I was home looking over my photos in more detail that I noticed the carving in the left hand tree. I now have a big, framed enlargement of my “dancing trees” that makes it easy to see “Ti Amo…,” which is Italian for I love you.
Discovering this weeks after I took the photo affirmed several things I already sensed. For me, these three trees clearly speak to me of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Since then I have spent hours contemplating the love of God within the Trinity and the Trinity’s love for humanity.
Ti Amo… is ‘serendipitously’ carved into a huge scar in the tree. Their sense of motion reminds me of Zephaniah 3:17. “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”
Their age displays qualities of enduring love that has been tested through good times and hard times. They have paid a price for life. I imagine they have borne fruit for hundreds of years. Below are a few of many verses about the love of God to meditate on.
May you go deeper and find peace as you focus on our Creator who saves us, loves us, quiets us, rejoices and dances over us with gladness.
Psalm 36:5 Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.
Psalm 36:7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
Psalm 40:11 As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!
Psalm 57:3 He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!
Psalm 85:10 Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Psalm 86:5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
Psalm 89:14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
Psalm 103:8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Psalm 108:4 For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,
Psalm 52:8But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.
Remember our Creator says to each of us, I love you . . . Ti amo. May we all be like green olive trees in the house of God, trusting in his unfailing love.
A few more verses for when you have time: Psalm 59:16; Psalm 59:17; Psalm 103:17; Psalm 106:1; Psalm 106:1; Psalm 107:15; Psalm 117:2; Psalm 119:124; Psalm 136:3-5;
