A simple children’s book can carry a whole life inside it. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is one of those. It tells the story of a boy and a tree—a friendship that lasts through every stage of his life. The tree gives her apples, her branches, even her trunk, until all that’s left is a stump. By then, the boy is an old man who only needs a place to sit and rest. And that’s what she offers.

It’s hard not to see Jesus in that picture. The One who gives and gives, who holds nothing back, who invites people—tired, worn, or restless—to sit and rest.

Rest doesn’t always come naturally, though. It’s something we have to choose, to make space for. Psalm 46 says, Be still and know that I am God. Stillness isn’t just slowing down; it’s trusting that He’s got the world—and your life—in His hands.

So what does that look like?

Sometimes, rest is as simple as being fully present, rather than replaying yesterday or running ahead in your mind. It might mean letting go of the need to control how everything turns out. It could be loving someone even when you don’t feel like it, refusing to judge a story you don’t know, or stepping away from a conflict before it flares.

It’s not always dramatic. It can be a cup of coffee in a favourite chair, sitting quietly before God without an agenda. It’s carrying His peace into a tense room. It’s remembering you’re not the one holding it all together—He already does.

Here are a few signs that rest is starting to take root:

• Acting out of faith instead of fear.
• Being present in the moment instead of living in “what was” or “what if.”
• Letting go of judgment and being known for what you’re for.
• Avoiding unnecessary drama or conflict.
• Handing over worry instead of letting it run the show.
• Refusing to interpret someone’s actions without knowing their story.
• Letting gratitude spill out in everyday conversation.
• Loosening the grip on plans and outcomes.
• Growing in emotional intelligence and self-awareness.
• Extending love beyond preference, even to those who are hard to love.
• Listening more, speaking less, and slowing down anger.

Each of these grows from a life rooted in Jesus, the steady source of lasting peace.

Outside the church building, a tree stands as a reminder. It was planted in memory of a woman who gave her time and heart to mission work. Earlier trees planted in that spot didn’t make it—one was destroyed in an accident, another died from disease. However, this third one took root and remains alive.

It’s more than landscaping. It’s a picture of what happens when a life is planted in the right soil. Growth might be slow, but it’s steady. It’s a reminder that this is a community that invests in people and releases them to make a difference. Over the years, more than fifty interns have stepped out from here into new places, carrying the hope of Jesus with them. Seeds keep being planted, and God keeps bringing fruit.

The seasons of life

Life moves in seasons, and Jesus’ own story shows it:

• Spring – blessing and new beginnings, like the river, moments of baptism and calling.
• Summer – the quiet of the mountain, with space to pray and breathe.
• Fall – the busy city season, full of ministry and activity.
• Winter – the wilderness and the garden, the places of testing and surrender.

Every season holds an invitation to rest. Jesus knew how to find it in all of them.

The tree and the cross

The first Adam ate from a living tree, and death followed. The last Adam - Jesus died on a dead tree, and life broke through. That’s what the cross shows—how justice and mercy, grief and hope can exist together.

Rest doesn’t mean escaping tension; it means carrying it with Jesus. The Giving Tree reminds us that love keeps giving, and the cross reminds us that love never runs out.

Perhaps this is a moment to receive that invitation. To sit and rest in His presence. And then, when it’s time to stand again, to carry His presence into whatever lane He’s called you to—at home, at work, in the neighbourhood, or around the world.

Jesus, the true Giving Tree, is still saying: Come. Sit down. Rest.