This tree and Ken's efforts to save it reminds me of God's mercy. Twenty years ago when the boys were little there was a huge branch that grew from the hole that is now at the bottom of the tree. They used to climb up onto that branch and swing down on a rope that eventually became part of the tree. One very windy night a few years ago we heard the noise it made breaking away from the trunk. When we went out the next morning we discovered the fallen branch and the hole in the tree. Then a couple years ago the right half of the tree twisted in the wind and broke off. You can see how thick that was from that piece Ken saved standing nearby. That's when Ken got a ladder and cabling and wrapped it around the trunk just below the split. It is still a majestic tree, reaching over 50 feet into the sky, and with the help of the cabling has many more useful years ahead, providing shade and shelter for man and beast. God does this for us through His mercy, saving us and making us useful.
