TREES

Many generations have come and gone, but the trees remain.

I walked into an old secondary school where I used to pray, many years ago. I went there with the simple intention of visiting some of my old prayer spots — places where I once knelt, cried, waited, and listened. It has been more than fifteen years, and the place still holds memories that words struggle to contain.

As I walked into the school premises, my attention was drawn to the trees.

They were still there.

Tall. Quiet. Unmoved.

And it struck me — these trees have been here for a very long time. They have witnessed generations of students come and go. They have seen young boys and girls grow into adults, some rise, some fall, some succeed, some fade quietly into history. They have watched governments change, seasons shift, and communities transform. What was once forest gradually became streets, houses, shops, noise, and endless motion.

Yet the trees remained.

They have seen my own growth too — from the days I came as a young boy to pray, uncertain and searching, to now, returning with years, experiences, and understanding behind me. They stood there while I changed. While the world changed.

And that is when it dawned on me: some things are meant to be timeless.

The trees have not improved in the way humans define improvement. They are not louder. They are not trendier. They are not competing for relevance. They are simply rooted — doing what they were created to do, season after season.

There is a lesson here for us.

Human life is filled with movement — ambition, trends, pressure, comparison, and constant redefinition. We live in a world obsessed with what is new, what is fast, and what is popular. Yet in that pursuit, we often lose what is durable.

Trees teach us the value of rootedness.

They are not bothered by the noise of the community around them. They do not respond to every passing trend. They are not distracted by seasons that come and go. They are grounded in something deeper than the surface.

So should it be with us.

There are values in life that must never change.

Our love for God should not change.Our love for humanity should not change.Our commitment to righteousness should not change.Our devotion to truth should not change.Our willingness to serve should not change.

Development may happen. Growth may happen. Seasons may change. But values must remain.

The Bible consistently emphasizes this call to timelessness.

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”— Hebrews 13:8 (KJV)

God Himself does not change, and those who walk with Him are called to reflect that stability in their inner life.

“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters… and shall not be careful in the year of drought.”— Jeremiah 17:7–8 (KJV)

Notice the imagery — a tree. Rooted. Unafraid of seasons. Sustained from a deeper source.

Trees teach us patience.Trees teach us consistency.Trees teach us endurance.Trees teach us silence.Trees teach us faithfulness to purpose.

In the same way, Scripture calls believers to live by principles that are not dictated by time or culture.

“Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.”— Proverbs 22:28 (KJV)

There are ancient landmarks of faith — prayer, holiness, obedience, humility, reverence for God — and they must not be removed simply because times have changed.

Trends will come.

Civilizations will rise and fall.

Technology will advance.

Opinions will shift.

But truth remains.

“Thy word, O LORD, is settled in heaven.”— Psalm 119:89 (KJV)

As I stood among those trees, I realized that much of our restlessness comes from forgetting what we are meant to be rooted in. Trees do not struggle to redefine themselves every season — they simply remain faithful to their design.

So should we.

Let us grow, yes.

Let us mature, yes.

Let us increase in wisdom, yes.

But let us never lose our values.

Like trees, may we be rooted in God, unmoved by noise, faithful through seasons, and standing long after trends have passed.