Today I have a renewed appreciation for trees.  Not because they are beautiful, which they are.  Not because they are majestic living things, which they are.  Not because they have unique characteristics like blossoming flowers and wonderful scents, which they do.  Today I have a renewed appreciation for trees because they provide shade.

In the heat this morning I realized all over again the grace that a single tree brings to my walk.  And then I realized the added graces that many trees along my walk offer me.  Shade is pure grace on a day like today – even early in the morning.  As I passed by a grove of trees and walked in their shade, I could feel the temperature drop by several degrees.  This reduced temperature was not a result of breezes, as is sometimes the case.  It was simply because of the shade provided by the trees.

So often I take the trees for granted.  But today, I give thanks for the wonderful grace of trees.