In 1997 at the property we once lived there was a very large pine tree that had died. I was worried about it. It was eventually going to fall down. There were many places it could have landed that would do much damage. I could neither afford to pay for the potential damage nor to hire a tree company to take care of the tree.
God answered our prayers about taking down the tree. He sent a wind and broke it off midway up and laid the top part over in the yard in a way I wouldn't have envisioned. It was pointing toward the house, but the part that broke was not long enough to reach the house. Only a few twigs were taken off a sweet gum tree, and a few minor branches of the Laurel oaks toward my brother-in-law Timothy’s yard. It did not land near the Well. Everything we were afraid might be damaged was spared: the trees, the power lines, the well, Timothy's yard, the road, our cars.
What I could afford was a chainsaw and a wheelbarrow. At that time there were no open-air burn laws. So, I just sawed it into pieces, wheeled it to the back yard, and burned it.
One more thing to remember God for, and to thank Him.
I will use this opportunity to say something that will encourage some people. Lizzie and I prayed about the tree. At no time did I have any unusual feeling before the event. I had no “Word of Faith”. I did not “bind Satan”. I did not “speak a word of power”. I did believe God could do whatever He wanted to do in His creation. That work could have included causing the tree to fall in such a way to take down the power, smash the well and a car, or to fall on the road. But He did not. He knew then, and knows now, what the course of my life will be, and what challenges He might bring to me for my growth. Although He cares for my prosperity, protection, and power, He is concerned most about my character. My character is what He wants developed when I reach heaven.
