The Treehouse

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Book-satchel in tow, I scrambled off the dusty, yellow school bus onto where the farm-to-market road comes to a “T.” Finally home, I was glad to leave the hand-clapping game in the front of the bus and the loud kissing in the back. My second-grade stomach grumbled loudly, anticipating the brownies my mother promised to bake.

As I rounded the yard, I was startled to see my daddy’s pick-up truck on the caliche drive. Like most farmers in West Texas, he worked from dawn to dusk and was never home in the middle of the afternoon. His muddy Firestone tires reminded me of the recent rains, so I deduced he must be tinkering with some piece of equipment since the fields were wet.

Shrugging, I neared the back door until I heard a distinct tapping noise from the backyard. Postponing my snack, I turned out of curiosity to hunt down the sound. As I neared our massive oak, I not only recognized the sound of hammering but stumbled upon an assortment of lumber scattered at the base of the tree. Surprised, I looked up through the branches to see my daddy’s face grinning down on me. 

“Come on up,” he said, pointing to the makeshift ladder he’d nailed to the trunk. Dropping my book bag, I clamored over the blocks of wood and up the rustic rungs.

Within moments, I’d ascended far enough to see Daddy’s hand reaching for mine. With a swift tug, he pulled me the final few yards onto the broad platform he’d built in the yawn of the branches. When my legs steadied, he urged me over to the sides of the treehouse to scan the shingles on our house and view the contents of his pick-up bed. He pointed out how small our dog looked from this angle and how we could see the land of distant neighbors, once invisible to us from the ground. Surveying the world from this vantage point was a delight, especially with my daddy. 

Pause a few moments to consider your Father in heaven. Take a deep breath and remember that He sent His Son as an exact representation of Who He is. God is Jesus, and Jesus is God. Through the Voice of the Son, your Father promised to prepare a “treehouse” for you, waiting for your presence. 

With the mind that Christ gave you, visualize His Hand reaching down to you, tugging you closer to His Presence. He knows you are tired and need a place of rest. He calls you to “Come on up” and enter into this prayerful retreat of quiet and solitude. 

You stand at the base, wondering how you may ascend. Your thoughts, though scattered, are most at home with the reality your eyes see around you. “Come on up,” He encourages. “Eternal life in Me has already begun. Come see. The dimension of the heavenlies awaits you, not one day in the future, but now.”

Take your eyes off the things seen below and ask Him to adjust your vision to the reality of the spiritual. Jesus is the Door to this actuality, and He bids you come see. You may not quite understand how to make the initial steps, but He Who calls will also direct your progress. His firm Hand of Hope spans your inability, including when you have no words. 

With determination and perseverance, choose not to dwell among the chaos surrounding you. Instead, raise your hand and your thoughts to the higher Rock. Sit beside Him on the platform of the heavenlies, even if for a moment, and ask Him to show you His vantage point concerning all that you fear.

The Father Who desires your company will show you how to ascend. “Come on up,” Jesus is calling. Move toward His Voice.