Trees and the grace of God

We have been blessed to sit on top of a hill overlooking a beautiful panoramic view of the Pennsylvania countryside. We savor and delight in its changing color and its magnificence splendor each day as we sit on our porch. A train winds its way through our town and we can see it from our porch as it snakes its way past Main Street as we listen carefully to the language of its whistle.
Several years ago, the neighbor that sits directly in front of us planted a row of Norwegian Pine trees. With growth of about 12” per year, the trees have grown to be massive, challenging the view within just a couple more years. We would no longer be able to see the train and the countryside would be blocked forever. Our view would shortly become pine trees and sky.
We have a good relationship with this widowed neighbor, so we asked her if we could chop those trees down, and put Japanese Weeping Cherry Trees in their place. She was quite agreeable to this proposal and we began the rigorous task of chopping and hauling four giant pines that very afternoon. About halfway through digging and planting of the new cherry trees another neighbor happened to stop by as he drove down the road. He informed us that the trees we just chopped down did not belong to this neighbor at all but it was the right-a-way for the man who lives in the last house on that driveway. With three of the six ($300) trees already planted, we stood in shocked silence. Well, actually it was not very silent, for I was going nuts. What were we going to say to this man was the question of the day? How were we indeed going to explain this one?
Evan dropped his tool of misdeed and languished down the driveway to meet trouble head on. He was not home but his mother said she thought he would be okay with it. We finished the job as quickly and as neatly as we could. After mulching and watering, we left the crime scene and put our tools away.
The next day we once again walked to his home to offer our apologies, but again he was not home. The other day while I was down in my garden, he drove past and gave me the friendly wave. I am comforted he has no hard feelings about our mistake, but rather as he told our neighbor “it was one less thing, he had to care for.”
Next spring we will enjoy the beauty of the Weeping Cherry trees and remember the grace God extended to us as that afternoon. It could have been ugly.