the bulge.

this tree lives out by radnor lake. everytime stacey nebel and i hike there, we pass by and wonder what causes such a beautiful and tall tree to have a big bulge at the bottom. it really made me sad last time as a lady walking by told us that the tree has a bacteria which makes it bulge. the tree is old, so it's obvioulsy overcome the sickness, but it's still really sad. i thought about my own bulges, times when there was a sickness in my life and i stood alone in a forest, reaching up for a better place, naturally being drawn to the light.
i like this tree. i'm trying to memorize psalm 96. verse 12 says "let the fields be jubiliant, and everything in them. then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;" this stuck in my head after seeing the bulging tree. trees are pretty loud megaphones shouting god's glory in this world, and just like me, we shout louder and clearer and with more passion when we stand tall with our bulges in clear view, showing god's power to overcome the most obvious mark of imperfection.