Thunder roars. Lightning strikes. The mighty tree falls to the ground as the rain continues to pour.

I found this giant tree down near a small neighborhood park in Ridgeland, Mississippi, a quiet, humble little place that has never ceased to amaze me. A park that I had been to many times, watching the tree blow in the wind as I pushed my little sister in the swing. Its bright green leaves dancing for us. I admit it was weird seeing something so big and tall, something that had been standing there for who knows how many years, be knocked down by a mere summer storm. There are so many lessons to be learned from this photograph. We all fall short; we all let the world push us down. Yes, people are kind of like trees. No matter how strong we think we are, we still can fall down hard; shaped by our situations and the influence of the things around us, positive or negative. It's neat to think about, actually. Because we are only human, we need God to hold us up. This Bible verse comes to mind: "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous hand." – Isaiah 41:10. It's neat what can happen when you spend a while in a park.

I hold up the camera to the fallen branches. Snap.