I used to be an elementary school teacher and I used to note and talk about days like Arbor Day with my students.  One year we even planted a tree in the middle of the school playground.  Last Friday was Arbor Day in my home state of Idaho.  I like trees.  I like the paper they supply, the wood they furnish for homes and the beauty and shade they provide in life.

An Arbor Day related quote I recently came across has me thinking this morning.  Here it is:

"The best time to plant a tree is twenty-five years ago. . . The second best time is today."

In our lives there is not much that can be done in and with the past, especially with those things that we regret.  If we are smart we will learn from the past and then let the rest go.

In Lamentations 3 I find some amazing words from the story of God.

The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words.

I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss.

Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!  His mercies never cease.

Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him!"

What we did or didn't do twenty-five years ago may or may not be easily dismissed by us.  But I am convinced that God is not nearly as hung up on our past as we are.  His mercies are new every morning and He wants us to look to Him and live in Him today.

Arbor Day has come and gone in Idaho.  Jesus tells us that "Today is the day of salvation."  Because of God's mercy, today is the best time for us to look to Him.  Let God plant a tree of hope in your heart today.