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A remarkable event occurs in our yard every year just prior to Easter. The redbud tree with its purple blooms signals the arrival of spring. Tiny blossoms begin to appear on its bare branches.

Our family has always looked forward to the few weeks the beautiful redbud tree displays its flowering branches. Soon after Easter, the small blossoms spread a colorful carpet in the grass beneath the tree. Green leaves replace the flowers until fall.

To understand what makes this event remarkable, you have to know what happened to this tree over twenty years ago. The day after Hurricane Opal left her mark on our county, we walked outside to find the redbud tree had fallen across our driveway. It was one of six trees the storm snapped or uprooted in our yard.

Due to the damage, we cut through the trunk and hauled away the leafy branches. Only the stump remained, pulled to a ninety degree angle by the winds until most of the roots were exposed.

To our delight and wonder, the next year we discovered tall, wire-like branches shooting upward from the side of the lifeless-looking stump. On the branches were the tiny flowers that tell us winter is over.

Looking at the new life on the redbud tree every spring reminds me of the real message of Easter. God’s creation seems to be telling His Son’s story of death and resurrection.

Jesus once said, “I am the resurrection and the life: he that believes in Me though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25). Ministers often refer to this scripture to comfort the family of a deceased loved one who was a Christian. Those who believe in Christ do have the promise of a reunion in heaven.

But Jesus’ words apply to every one of us today. Without a personal relationship with Jesus, you and I are dead as a result of sin; but John 3:16 and Romans 6:23 say believers will receive eternal life. First, admit you are a sinner, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ who paid the penalty for your sin with His life, then confess your sins to Him, and He will cleanse you of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:19 NKJV). Life is short-lived. Eternity lasts forever.

The redbud tree also reminds me of what it’s like to live a Christian life. As the Apostle Paul put it, believers should be rooted in Christ, meaning firm in their faith” (Colossians 2: 6 & 7).

You may feel like the storms of life have beaten you down. Circumstances may have uprooted your faith. No matter what has happened, look upward toward the Son. You’ll find a ray of hope that will help you bloom where you’re planted.

It might surprise you to know that Albert Einstein said the words, “Bloom where you’re planted,” to a fellow scientist who was complaining about his low pay and mediocre research assignment. To make his point, Einstein reportedly pointed to a blade of grass that had broken through a slab of concrete.

Someone once said, “An oak tree is an acorn that stood its ground.” Look up to the Son, stand tall, (even during the storms), and bloom where you’re planted.

— Jan White has compiled a collection of her columns in her book, “Everyday Faith for Daily Life.”