Anne's Tree

“From my favourite spot on the floor I look up at the blue sky and the bare chestnut tree on whose branches little raindrops shine, appearing like silver, and at the seagulls and other birds as they glide on the wind.”  --Anne Frank

On August 23, 2010, the iconic 170-year-old horse chestnut tree that had brought inspiration and comfort to a young Anne Frank hiding from the Nazis during World War II was toppled in a storm. 

Several years earlier, I had spent an entire day sightseeing in the city of Amsterdam.  While Anne’s famous hiding place and chestnut tree were at the top of my list of places to visit, I somehow got sidetracked and never made it to the site.  My regret at not visiting this historic spot was greatly exacerbated by the news that Anne’s tree was now gone forever.

“Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”  The old adage still rings true, doesn’t it?  It’s not so much our sins of commission, but rather our sins of omission, that haunt us most.  Today may be the last opportunity you have to embrace a loved one or tell a friend that he or she means the world to you.  Today may be your last chance to laugh, cry, eat, pray, love or worship the God who has granted you all the days of your life.

The great Protestant reformer, Martin Luther, once wrote, “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”  Listen to Martin and plant a tree today.