Six years ago, a tree fell in our back yard.

It was in the middle of the night during a heavy downpour. I was awake by chance, hearing a strange noise I had never heard before. It was a “whoosh”, but amplified by a shudder.

The tree fell backwards and to the side, landing on the four foot fence between our house and our neighbor’s yard.

Because it didn’t land on our roof, hallelujah, we waited until morning to examine the damage.

Half the tree had cleaved off. On inspection, we noticed that the whole fallen portion was rotten from the inside out. It was full of burr holes from the insects that take advantage of dead wood.

We began the task of cutting up the tree and hauling it away.

The long, formerly skyward branches were draped over the fence…and crushing my beloved confederate jasmine.

If you are not from the South or familiar with this plant, it is a vigorously climbing, spring blooming flowering vine. It has little cream colored blossoms that smell like heaven. They are very fragrant, and fill the air with their perfume late spring and into early summer.

The tendrils of the jasmine that had previously rolled like a wave over the fence were now crushed.

As we cut and removed the tree limbs, we removed the smashed the smithereens remnants of the vines.

It was cleaned up. The jasmine had good roots, but no where to go. So it lay on to ground for four years, a riot of waxy emerald leaves, and scant blooms.

Two years ago, we had to get a new fence.

The pile of jasmine was stepped on, disrupted…but still rallied each spring.

Every spring I’ve looked at that pile of jasmine, and mourned the great swell of blossoms that it used to be.

Yet I never did anything about it.

This year was different.

My husband and I bought some lattice, and a sturdy post.

He measured and placed the framework on the fence.

Painstakingly, we separated the serpentine branches of the jasmine, separating the spiny dewberry tendrils from the jasmine vines. One by one, the jasmine vines were placed in between the spaces of the lattice.

The big root system was secured with some fabric, and the whole of the pile that had lain on the ground for six years was now propped up.

You may have had a disaster in your life. Something major that knocked you down – or knocked the wind out of you.

Maybe you have been just a shell of yourself, stagnant, motionless on the grounds that you didn’t feel worthy, or that you couldn’t do it anymore.

You kept trying, though, even as the stings and barbs of the enemy tried to entwine you.

What you needed was someone to come alongside, pick you up, secure you to the Root, show you the way to go again.

If you’re the one that’s struggling, don’t give up. Pray to your Abba Father – He will help you.

If you happen to be the one that sees that pile of growth trying to happen…get in there and help.

I’m looking forward to watching it climb toward heaven again, filling the air with its sweet, soulful fragrance.