The Maple is a very large, shady tree. If its seeds are implanted too near the mother tree, they will be overshadowed and will not grow.
In God’s perfect, creative design, the Maple produces seeds in a way that overcomes this obstacle to their fertility.
The Maple seed has a complex design, falling only when dry enough to flutter in the wind, making the veins of the dried wing carry it far enough away from the mother to best ensure its survival.
But as beautiful as the fall is, the creative design and structure of the seed is not the only factor that is involved in Maple reproduction. While a Maple can release hundreds of thousands of spinning seeds each year, the health of the tree – and of the seeds – is based on factors other than the tree itself.
Every season, every year, the Maple has a different reproductive potential, which is based on factors such as the previous winter, amount of rain during the spring, and strength of the wind in the late summer – the strongest wind carries the seeds the furthest.
Isn’t our own fertility so similar? Our ability to procreate isn’t just about ourselves. Factors larger than us are involved, factors from seasons past, and in our current season. The cold, dark winter that appears lifeless holds potential for the future. The messy, brown, mascara and tear stained cheeks of the spring season when it appears as if the prayers will never be answered. The dry, brittle summer and the seemingly unfriendly gusts of wind. They all play an instrumental role in establishing just the right environment for the seed to grow.
If you are a parent, or an aspiring parent, utilizing the God-inspired technology of ART, you may more than most feel a bit like the Maple.
It is my gentle hope that you can discover beauty and marvel at the mystery of the journey.
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