Our Tree House | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Our Tree House | Previous Challenge Entry
By John Esposito
04/30/15
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Sitting in a lawn chair on my deck inhaling the sweetness from the chicken that’s cooking on the grill. Listening to my son Johnny practicing his saxophone on the deck of our tree house. The tree house in our back yard that has become our mighty fortress.

It’s a six foot square room that sits on top of a twelve foot square deck. It’s suspended twelve feet off the ground and attached to a twenty five foot high Red Maple. They have been complimenting each other the past 10 years, and have truly become one.

During dinner my oldest son asked, “Dad can we sleep out in the tree house tonight?”

“Sure, after dinner we’ll go out and set up our sleeping bags while it’s still light out.”

My youngest son says, “And Grace too right dad? She’s our little sister and we don’t want to leave her out, right dad?”

“Yes Joe, Grace can sleep with us too.”

Grace is our 5 year old Bulldog. Joe wants to be a big brother too and is working it with Grace.

The only thing that separates me from the tree house right now is a ten foot rope bridge. Standing at the edge of our deck getting ready to take a step that I’m questioning because I had more dinner than I should have and I’m now a little concerned about my advanced girth.

Thankfully I remembered that I attached chains under the rope bridge for extra support, just for this moment for myself or for someone else of equal or greater caliber.

The night was peaceful with just the hum of the mosquitoes trying to sneak through the window screen and watching my boys sleep by the light of the fire flies.

The morning found me standing between two giggling kids relieving themselves off the bridge.

My wife looking out of the bedroom window says, “Don’t let them do that.”

“Honey please, let it go, it’s a guy thing.”

Now with empty bladders and empty bellies I took them and Grace inside and made them breakfast. While they were eating I went back out to tree house deck with my morning tea.

I was looking down at the ground at the dandelions and watching the grasshoppers jump around when I started to think about God. Here I am above the ground and staring down at the earth just like God does every day.

I’m standing in a place where there is no judgment. A place where it doesn’t matter if you’re a boy or girl, or white or black. A place where noting separates us and we are all full of innocence.

A place where if you get a cut you rub dirt on it. If you get a splinter you leave it alone instead of going to the ER. A place where if you fall you get back up and shake it off. Somewhere you can always be yourself.

A place where you can act silly, laugh, and have fun all day long without the neighborhood watch kicking down your front door asking your parents to take a drug test because you’ve been outside all day long. A place where as a parent I can act out James 3:18 NIV “Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.”

Thinking to myself that this is what heaven must be like. And glancing over at the rope bridge and thinking that we as Christians have to bridge the gap between the unsaved and searchers of the world to help them reach heaven.

To be there to rub dirt in their wounds and not their faces. To remove their splinters or sit with them in the ER if need be. To pick them up when they have fallen down and then to walk with them. To protect them while they figure out to put on their own “Armor of God” - Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV. To always be the chains under their bridge.

And when the second coming of Christ reveals itself no longer a fable, it will be an honor and a blessing to sit across from them at the banquet table. To sing and worship together in the mighty fortress in the sky and to forever fellowship together in our heavenly tree house.

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