The Lessons of the Four Red Gums

Every morning where I sit in my armchair, sipping a morning cuppa & listening to devotions, the view through our living room window out across the front garden, beyond the road, is the Bush reserve.

In that reserve there are four tall Sydney Red Gums perfectly framed by the window. Their colours are striking & change throughout the day as the light dances upon the maroon & pink hues of their trunks.

They stand tall, solid & unmoving but also from this perspective they look intertwined, although when close up they’re actually four individual trees set a part from each other, it’s an optical illusion that their intertwined.

These Gums remind me of the comforting things in life that intertwine dependability & security that is often described as bringing contentedness. So I thought we would explore these aspects of life today & where we find them.

Let’s grab our cuppa’s, a treat & get comfy. I’ve been baking gf muffins lately, so I have a choice of Raspberry or Date today. I think I’ll enjoy a Raspberry muffin with my Russian Caravan tea. What about you?

Let’s begin now we’re comfy…

As the world seems to be careening out of control

We look around & see the crazy things happening in the world, & we yearn for the comfort & contentment of dependability & security in life, don’t you?

The following question is begging to be asked here;

What appears solid, secure & dependable in my life that I find comforting?

My thoughts go to my husband Steve, who is a faithful & an honourable man, which is very comforting for I know I can count on his love & care in this season of my life.

I think of the relationships I have with my family & feel very blessed which adds to that contentment. Although I know they’re all dealing with the ups & downs that life brings & are busy in their own lives, as I was once.

I also look at the comfort my home brings & that adds a certain level of security.

However, what I’ve learnt in life is that all of the above can be taken away in a blink of an eye.

Having lived through the death of my late husband Ed & the deaths of two of my children, Candy & Benjamin.

And in another season, the loss of my home, car & finances, due to a significant other’s unwise choices at that time. I know that seasons in life can suddenly & irretrievably change.

I’m reminded of the following quote from Mother Teresa’s poem, Do It Anyway;

What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight.
Build anyway.

Through those past experiences I know there’s no assurance of what may seem solid & secure at the moment. For anything can happen literally overnight that will vastly disturb my contentment & security, turning it upside down.

However, echoing the words of the Apostle Paul;

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or having less, whether living in plenty or in want. Philippians 4: 12

What is the Secret of Being Content?

There is another part to Paul’s experience above which I too have found to be true & that’s the following;

I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.] Philippians 4: 13 AMP

You see my friend the secret of being content is not in what I have placed my comfort & security in but who I have placed my trust & security.

And that’s in my relationship with God the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ, for He is the only dependable source of security & contentedness that I can ever have.

For everything else in this world is transitory, an illusion of what security is, just like the four Red Gums that look intertwined in the optical illusion across the road.

Are you content my friend? No? Then I invite you to join me here in prayer.

Until next time,

Jennifer

You’re most welcome to join me in The Reading Nook

Or 

In Prayer

© 2025 Jennifer M. Ross, All Rights Reserved. Photo by Meliani Idriss on Pexels.com 

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