The time had come. We didn’t want it to come. We put it off as long as we could. I even prayed it wouldn’t be necessary. But then it was inevitable.

The trees had to come down. Why was this such a big deal?

Let’s go back to 1987. We had just moved to Fayetteville and into our new home. It was a new build, and we were absolutely astounded at how blessed we were to be able to live in a new house like this in a neighborhood like this in a community like this. Blessed. Blessed. Blessed.

However, since it was a new build home, there were many things both inside and outside that had to be done to “finish it up.” One of those things was landscaping, and the biggest part of the landscaping was to plant a row of trees across the wide back property line to give privacy and separation from the public land behind us.

So, what does a young couple with two small children and a limited budget do? We bought 39 one-foot Leland Cypress trees and planted them in two staggered rows. Let me repeat. They were 12 inches tall. They were babies. They seemed so far apart and so inadequate to do the job we wanted them to do, but we had two guarantees. One, that we had time to let them grow up. And two, that God would be faithful, and His Creative Hand would provide the growth we both wanted and needed.

Fast forward ten years. These babies were growing up. Sure enough, we had 39 beautiful fairly tall trees, with width that provided the privacy and beauty we were seeking. We had a great backyard for years and years and years.

Fast forward thirty years, to five years ago. These babies had long been fully grown, each reaching to the sky at sixty feet. Sixty feet.

However, their lives had taken some “hits,” and we began to worry about them.

First, the company, which owns the power lines that run behind our property, came along one day and shaved the back one third off the back row of trees. They claimed these branches were over our property line and infringing on the activity of the power lines, which run about one hundred feet above the ground. Please join me in saying, “What a farce! What a stretch of reality!” How could these branches adversely affect power lines one hundred feet above them?

The arborist we consulted said that was a definite weakening factor for our trees.

Second, absolutely unknown to us back in 1987, Leland Cypress have a strong tendency to contract diseases. And ours did just that. They began to turn brown, with the lower branches beginning to die. Eventually, the brown and dead worked its way all the way to the top on the two end trees and was advancing in similar fashion on them all.

Third, in hindsight we realized we planted them way too close to each other and their branches competed with each other for the adequate light and air they needed for health and prosperity.

So, early this year, in consultation with the arborist, we knew we were going to have to do the very hard thing of having the trees taken out.

I was diligent. I got three good bids from reputable tree companies. We took the one in the middle. And the day came when King Tree Experts showed up with their huge crane, large cherry picker, expert operators, large and sharp chain saws, large crew of workers, and monster chipper, and commenced to cut and remove and make wood chips out of 39 sixty feet tall trees.

It was extremely interesting to watch the precision of this tree company. They were everything they promised they would be, efficient, safety conscious, and they left a mere footprint of their monstrous presence.

We watched them as each of the 39 trees “disappeared.” Each one seemed to bring to mind times our children and their friends and our relatives played in our backyard with those tall timbers looking down on them.

And then they were gone. A tide of mixed emotions swept in. Because they were infected and dying and potentially dangerous if they had fallen down, I was grateful they were down and gone. And, of course, because of all the elements in the story I’ve written here, I was sad and emotional over their loss.

As a pastor and a preacher, I can’t help but see all this as a picture beyond Leland Cypress trees coming and going in a backyard. Let me mention three “pictures” I see.

One, I see a picture of our fallen world. No matter how hard we may try to bring our world to perfection, we will always fail. Why? Because our world is tainted with sin, even “original sin.” Even trees and nature, as beautiful as they may be, fall under the curse of “the fall of mankind.” To see our lives and our world without the lens of Genesis chapters one through three, is to misunderstand the basics of our existence.

Two, I see a picture of redemption. Our backyard’s only hope was to be rid of the infected trees. A “sacrifice” had to be made. For us as fallen creatures and for our fallen world, a sacrifice had to be made. We Christians know our deserved sacrifice was taken by Jesus Christ, our Savior. That’s why His Story is called “the Gospel,” which means Good News. And it is such Good News!

Third, I see a picture of New Life. Yes, New life will come to our backyard. Our plan is to have our grandchildren each plant a new tree or two. These will not be Leland Cypress, and we will not plant them too close together. And we will watch them grow and do their job for privacy and beauty. Neither my wife not I will see them fully grown, of course, but we will trust in their continued growth even after we’re gone from this earth. So, I see a picture of our New Life which is rooted in Jesus Christ, and we have the sure hope of eternal life through Him. After all, we just celebrated Easter and His Resurrection, didn’t we? 

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!