Tuesday, July 22, 2008

DIAMOND WILLOW

In my sunroom I have a staff I can take with me on walks. My walking staff is a gift from my brother and is made from "diamond willow." It is lightweight and has a unique shape, with about a dozen diamond shaped notches of different sizes on its lovely rust-colored wood. Diamond willow is found in northern Minnesota and North Dakota, and is highly sought after for canes and walking staffs.

The interesting thing is that diamond willow is not a species. It's a regular small willow tree that's been attacked by a fungus that occurs around it in nature, especially along river banks where willows often grow. The beautiful diamond shapes are actually enlarged notches caused by the stress of the tree trying to avoid the attacking spores. The results of the stress are rare formations not seen in any other tree. The result of the stress is a form and beauty unseen in any other species of tree.

A diamond willow staff doesn't come looking beautiful. It is ugly in its natural state and needs to have the rough outer bark stripped away to show the beauty inside. It needs an artist to polish and sand it, so as to show its inner true character. Without the artist, people will just toss it aside as useless.

All willows have such fungi growing around them, but only certain ones react by being changed. Without the stress, it would be just a regular stick, but because of the stress and what it has done to the small tree trunk, this diamond willow staff is admired for its unusual beauty.

You and I often have stress in our lives that shapes us, perhaps in ways we'd rather not see. It can change our attitude and affect our relationships with others, including our loved ones. Everyone has stress - no one can aviod it. The important thing is how we react to it and what it can do to us. Sometimes we may think it makes us worse, but with God's help it can make us unique and beautiful, depending on what it does to us.

People are not all the same. We are unique individuals God has created and life has shaped. Jesus has forgiven us our sins and stripped away our outer ugly nature. Because of His great love for us, He has made us beautiful so that we can "shine like the stars" (Philippians 2:15) as we show forth our faith in Him.

I hope some day you can see the beauty of a diamond willow staff.

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