The Giving Tree By Steven Boyd

In my yard, there lives a wonderful red maple tree. It is located about fifteen feet off my back porch and looks over the woods, which are not far behind. This tree has been a pleasure to witness year after year, not just for its inherent beauty and glorious shape and color, but for all the wildlife that comes to visit it each day, year in and year out. When I moved into my house over 20 years ago, I added three bird feeders, a water dish, and a suet feeder. Including the seed and suet feeders along with a couple notches in the tree and a few spots on the ground, there are around seven locations for the seed and other various treats. 

As the years have ticked by and seasons have come and gone, I’ve had generations of cardinals, blue jays, doves, woodpeckers along with finches, robins and starlings who come to visit without fail. This does not include all the chipmunks, squirrels and turkey that like to visit on a regular basis. On occasion, a skunk, hawk, or possum will make a surprise visit. All these beautiful creatures rely on this tree for food and water. And, year after year, it has been there for them to enjoy. 

What makes this tree special from all the other trees in my yard and the surrounding woods, none other than this tree has been saturated with the loving goodness of spirit and appreciation by the animal kingdom for being a consistent source of food and water that God’s creatures seek out with earnest through the ever-changing seasons of life. They have learned to depend on it and teach their young ones to rely on it as well. Each day in the late afternoon, they show up without fail. I know it makes the tree happy to be at the center of attention and humble service. I also know it makes the animals and birds happy, and it surely makes this simple steward happy to serve his fellow friends of nature. 

In much the same way, Spirit is the infinite and universal giving tree for all its children spread throughout the cosmos. The infinite tree of spirit is always ready to share its protective limbs of peace during the storms of life, always ready to give the divine sustenance of happiness and bliss to all who learn to depend on it. This tree of endless compassion doesn’t judge who can and can’t come for peace and nourishment, it doesn’t care what political party your part of, whether you follow this or that religion,  it doesn’t care so much who’s been naughty or nice, it’s just there for each of us, waiting to serve its children the soul quenching food and water that makes us eternally happy and full of peace. 

As we move into the season of fall and thanksgiving, let us make an effort to share our heartfelt thanksgiving and gratitude to Spirit, who is the eternal giving tree for us and for the cycles of nature playing its grand play on the background of time and space. 

About Steven Boyd: Steven Boyd is a writer and an aspiring yogi. During the work week, he plays the part of global director of talent management for an engineering company. Steven has been practicing yoga and meditation daily for over 30 years. He follows the spiritual path of the Self Realization Fellowship that was founded in 1920 by the Great Yogi-Guru Paramahansa Yogananda. His book ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ has sold millions of copies. Steven Jobs of Apple computer was a big fan of this book.