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Tree Identity


Who am I? Who are we? Are we who society says we are, how others say, or how we say? That was the prompt for this art assignment, to capture how you are defined differently based on who is defining you.

I kinda went a different route. While I did incorporate chains into the background (representing the stereotypical societal view of Christianity, that is is all about binding rules and rituals), I didn't focus on how I view myself, because honestly, that would be pretty depressing. Instead, I chose to fixate on how God, my Creator, sees me.

I am, we are, His trees, His little seedlings. He waters and nourishes us with His Holy word, holy truth. And when our foundation rests in Him, then we can grow (it's pretty hard to grow when YOUR life and control is constantly shaken; we need HIS truth, HIS control because He is the only one who can keep us grounded). Once our life is flowing from His, only then can we really flourish, becoming His handpicked, beautiful trees. We share His word in our lives, because our very beings are made of Him. Our actions, our "branches" are on display for all to see, as they showcase His truth and glory. When we live for Him.

And not only do others witness our lives being transformed by the master Gardener, but we see it in ourselves. We see ourselves coming back to life. What was once dead, is made alive again. What should have been dead is given a chance at new life. The dried flowers represent this clearly: wilted, crumbling, no life. By all accounts, they should be dead, deserve to be dead for their sins against their Creator. But He gives them a new life, turning the life cycle upside down by taking something dead and bringing it back to life. Dead flowers made alive. Us deserving death but being made alive in Christ. Dead and raised to life. I see a pattern here, do you?

The bottom line is this: we need Jesus. We need Him to define us, and WE NEED TO BELIEVE HIM. How can the created know better than the Creator? He is our foundation, and He is making us new, making us a testimony of His goodness so that whoever sees us sees our scripture-covered branches, our lives rooted and growing in Him. And we will thrive, because He brought us back to life.

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