A Sign Of Hope

One person guessed what my pictures were in yesterday’s post. My daughter-in-law, Melissa. Way to go, Mel! It looks like some kind of cactus, but it’s a chestnut pod. In the picture where they are scattered on the ground, you can see an open one, where the nut came out. Here’s a picture of the nut, as well. Actually, these are Horse Chestnuts. They are are poisonous to people and many animals. Except squirrels. I should have known! Real chestnut trees were wiped out in a blight between 1904 and 1950. They are extremely rare, and tree specialists are on the verge of helping them make a comeback. But here’s the funny part. I didn’t know what this was, after living in a suburb called “Tree Streets” for over 25 years! And having a best friend who lives on Chestnut Street, about two blocks away! This tree is often referred to as the Anne Frank Tree, because while hiding in Amsterdam, she and those who hid with her could not look out their windows for fear of being seen. But there were two windows which faced upward (one is pictured here). Through these she could see the sky and a large horse chestnut tree that she mentioned several times in her diary. The tree still stands there today. In 1944, she wrote this in her diary: “Nearly every morning I go to the attic to blow the stuffy air out of my lungs. From my favorite spot on the floor I look up at the blue sky and the bare chestnut tree, on whose branches little raindrops shine, appearing like silver, and at the seagulls and other birds as they glide on the wind. As long as this exists, I thought, and I may live to see it, this sunshine, the cloudless skies, while this lasts I cannot be unhappy.” This beautiful testament to hope and peace during despair speaks for itself. 1 Chronicles 16:”Tremble before him, all the earth!...Let the Heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations “The Lord reigns!”… Then the trees of the forest will sing; they will sing for joy before the Lord.”