How Many Trees?

How many trees does it take to clothe a mountain?
How many grains form the river’s watershed?
How many drops does it take to fill a fountain?
How many hairs wave and toss upon my head?

So many times troubles pierce me like an arrow;
So many questions go unanswered in my mind.
Yet this I know: He who notices the sparrow,
Holds me in His hand, ever loving, ever kind.

Matthew 10:29-31 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows.

This poem was prompted by a photo of the mountains taken along Skyline Drive. The panoramic view of rolling hills boasted a bumpy surface representing the tops of many trees. How many trees? I wondered. And with that thought also came the thought that not only does my Father know how many trees cover those mountains, He also knows how many hairs cover my head. And if He cares to know those details, so much the more He must care for all the other details of my life.

Here are a few more photos from my 2014 mountain retreat, all depicting “how many trees” it must take to clothe the mountains. It was hard to choose just one, so this time I decided to include several.