Maple trees, their sweet syrup and beautiful fall leaves, are the emblem of Canada.
No respecter of borders, these beautiful trees flow south into New England and the Midwest creating great forests with tendrils that twine into the northern tier states of the south, including the mountains of north Arkansas.
Having loved these trees from my Midwest childhood and my college years in Fayetteville, Arkansas, I convinced Dennis to plant one for us on our little patch of earth. With no horticultural expertise to guide us, we simply dug a hole, settled the root ball in place, filled in the dirt, and walked away.
No babying that transplant. I was too busy raising my brood of six humans to worry about simultaneously raising a maple tree.
Today my maple is almost forty feet tall and happily flourishing. It is one of God’s gifts of love to me. Unbeknownst to us, but not unknown to God, we planted that tree on top of an underground water source. Like the tree described in Psalm 1 planted by streams of water, bearing fruit and not withering, so our tree has been a picture of God’s steady, faithful, nourishing love.
Every fall when it turns the color of lemons, or in drier seasons when the leaves are the color of flames, I go sit under its glory with my eyes drinking in the wonder of millions of fluttering gold pieces. I soak in the warm color as if my tree was a floating golden lake, dripping yellow splashes all around.
And I give thanks for the beauty God created in these majestic living things.
Though I’m not Canadian like my friend Ann, I do love all things maple. Another of my favorite maples, which also makes me happy, is our Leave Him Thanks wreath.
Like the leaves of Scripture, page after page of words that give praise and glory to God, I knew in the first year of Ever Thine Home that I wanted a wreath printed with words from the Psalms and the great hymns of our faith. My friend Gina was helping me with this design idea and suggested we use a maple shape for the printed-paper leaves lightly edged in gold. It was a genius idea, from the one we affectionately call Gina the Genius!
So we wanted you, our friends, to know we have a limited supply left this year and after they are gone they will be no more. We are retiring this design with a special price.
As October dawns I hope you will welcome one of these wreaths into your home to add beauty and a soft reminder of our need to always leave God many thanks.
Have a warm and wonderful fall. I give thanks for each of you!
Click HERE to order and
use code “LeaveHimThanks” for 25% off at Checkout
I have been asked to officiate a funeral for an elderly lady. She grew up on an orphanage in Canada, married a USA sailor and came to live in the Midwest. The maple leaf story has given me a lovely idea for her. She came from Canada, she was beautiful, and we can find comfort rooted in God’s Word. I plan on giving a mapleleaf wreath to each of her 3 daughter’s. Thanks for the beautiful idea. (I have never officiated a funeral before, I’m not a clergy) jnqn <
In the book of Job, one if his daughters was named Jemima. The maple leaf is popular in Canada.