I have been blessed in recent years with a ‘tree house office’; I have a private retreat that is all my own. Before, it was always a bedroom for one of my children. Now that the children are grown, and have their own houses, this room on the second floor is mine. I have one son who still lives at home and is in college. He has a room at the other end of the house. So, this room is separate from the others, a quiet place, with a guest bedroom across the hall.
In this room, I almost forget that I am inside the house at all. Just outside my window there is so much greenery, like I am overlooking an enchanted forest. I look out to this sea of green and it is a beautiful sight! Of course, in heavy wind storms, the trees are a bit intimidating! In almost thirty years of living in this house, we have been very blessed; only a few trees have come down…all of them far from the house and deep in the woods.
The view from my window changes with the seasons. Soon, the leaves on the trees will change color, and begin to fall. Later, the trees will stand starkly dark with no colors at all in winter; occasionally, they will be draped in white snow. Then in spring, the view will change daily, bits of color added as each tree bursts into bloom.
The room is full of my favorite things. I have a writing desk, and another desk for my computer. I have two bookshelves heavy-laden with books, and I have a wing chair where I can sit and read. I have a futon where I could actually take a nap, but I never do!
When I come into the room, I can smell the wonderful scent of Balsam pine from my little Maine pillow. I bought this on my trip there a few years back, and the pine scent is still pungent. I always feel like I am transported to Maine with that pillow! It is one keepsake that I really treasure.
This is the room where I store many of my keepsakes; these keepsakes remind me of happy times and the people and places that I love. I have a little bottle of pink sand from my trip to Bermuda, and I keep it on my bookshelf. I have a large map on the wall of Ocracoke Island in North Carolina; this is a place that I absolutely love and would never get tired of visiting. I like a place that you can travel to by ferry, and the sea birds follow along with you as escorts.
I am by no means a world traveler, but I have collected jars and jars of shells from some very beautiful beaches I feel fortunate to have visited. Some of these jars have made their way into my office. I have shells, and rocks, and pieces of coral from a great many beautiful places; Hawaii, Florida, North and South Carolina, Nova Scotia, Nantucket, Cape Cod, the Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Rhode Island, and Long Island. Each and every one of these things is more than an ornament; each one is a daily reminder of all the wonder and beauty God has placed in this world.
This is a room for some of my scrapbooks, saved cards in pretty boxes, and journals I have kept. Sometimes, on rainy days, I have sifted through these items, mining for memories, and I am never disappointed. I feel so blessed by all the amazing people that God has given me in my life; I read over the stories in my journals of our time spent together. I have both laughed and cried at some of the remembrances.
When I was a child, my father built us a tree house, for my siblings and I when we were school-age. I loved it. It was a magical place all our own. We could listen to the chatter of the birds, watch the light coming into the house through the slats just so, and simply enjoy the peacefulness that little tree fort offered. We did manage to bring lots of stuff up there now and again…childhood treasures of long ago!
Perhaps, that is why I love this tree house office so much. I can open the window and listen to the birds. I can hear the rustle of leaves as the wind blows through the trees. I can listen to the rain, as I once did in my childhood house set in the trees. At night, I can listen to the owls deep in the woods.
The ‘chatter’ of the outdoors is a comfort to me. I feel a part of this great big world, with mountains, and beaches, and beautiful forests. God has blessed us with so much wonder in the natural world. I look out at the trees and I remember just how vast the universe is, and my little window of the world is only the tip of an iceberg. Still, I am grateful for all that I have seen, and all I hope yet to see.
At night, the stars twinkle above these tall trees. When we were children, these were the stars we wished upon. We dreamed big dreams. We believed that the best was yet to come. The stars were beacons of hope in the night sky, and we were ever ready for adventure, and plans in the making for fun times.
I must confess that in these days of Covid 19, my tree house office has been a retreat. It reminds that better days are coming when all of this will be behind us. Like the trees that sway ever so slightly in a major storm, I must accept the current storm as well and remain standing. I too, must bend somewhat, remembering that my roots run deep, deeper than any storm wind that blows through my life.
God is with us in this present hour. The ‘chatter’ of the universe carries on around us. If God keeps His eye on the sparrow, how much more will He care for us? Luke 12:7: “Why even the hairs on your head are numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
God goes before us, and He is with us in the storm. Colossians 1:17: “And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” May we press that verse upon our hearts in these difficult days. May we remember that God’s window is so much bigger than our own, and His view greater than anything we could ever imagine. This is not a time to trust our own limited vision; this is a time to trust in the One who created the universe, heaven and earth, and our very beings.
I am reminded today of the poem by Cecil Francis Alexander. It is a poem that I loved in my childhood, back in those tree fort days of dreaming and wishing on stars. It is still a poem I love, perhaps all the more now that I am older, and hopefully, wiser! “All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.” This is just the first few lines of the poem, but it pretty much sums up all that I have been trying to say; our Creator God never grows weary of doing good on our behalf.
We can still wish on stars and dream new dreams. When we focus our hearts and minds on God, the starlight we see is real; the star we follow always leads us to the Babe in Bethlehem, and it always leads us home.
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” : 1 Corinthians 2:9
Tree house moments!
Grapes growing down below!
Morning sun!
I too have a room to escape to. It used to be my husband’s office but over the years it has become a place where I write, read scripture, pray & keep our lives organized. There’s a twin bed for guests (I’ll admit I have napped on it). My husband added built-in shelving a few years ago. So the walls are lined with our various collections, keepsakes & of course books.
Happy Monday!
It is fun to have a room where you keep your favorite things. I tend to keep more than I should in terms of cards and that sort of thing. I have a few boards with ribbons that hold some cards and photos. It is a happy reminder of birthdays, and beach days, and special moments. Happy Monday to you as well! 🙂 Your room sounds wonderful!!!
That is such a beautiful room! No wonder you use it as your retreat, and where you store your momentos from your trips. And thanks for the reminder that God is with us always, especially in these troubled times. Sometimes knowing that is all that can give us hope.
These have been hard times separated from friends and family. Remembering that these times will not last forever is comforting. With God’s help we will endure. Perhaps, we will appreciate our blessings of family and friends to a greater degree. 🙂
I love your window on the world
I do love the trees! However, they are a bit intimidating when a storm rolls through! We have been very lucky in that regard all these many years. Trees have come down deep in the woods; I thank God none have fallen close to the house.
That’s true. When I lived in Virginia, we had three large, very wobbly pine trees in our yard, and we had a company take them down right before Hurricane Bonnie was forecast to hit.
We have lived in our house for almost thirty years and I thank God we have survived many a storm. We have had our share of cleaning up branches! And we certainly have a lot of leaves to rake in the fall! We have taken down a couple of trees that were not in good shape; I imagine there will be more! 🙂
I want a tree house office! That view looks amazing and I love that you remind us to enjoy the beauty and keep dreaming!
I think now more than ever we need to look at all the beauty around us. The night before last, we were down by the river, and I looked up at the moon; it was so full and so lovely. You can look at the moon again and again…still, it is just amazing every time!
Lovely place to be, Linda. I like the “God’s window” perspective. God’s grip – Alan
‘God’s window’ is the best window! We see just a little bit. He sees the whole picture. 🙂
so glad that you have such a happy sanctuary … wish more were so blessed 🙂
I believe that a sanctuary place can be almost anywhere. When I was a child, we had a weeping willow tree and I often brought a blanket and would sit under that tree. No one could see me under there; the branches hung down to the ground. I do feel blessed, but I felt blessed then also. I often think of that particular tree all these many years later; it was my own special place and I loved it.
I had a tree also but used to climb it to look out over the ocean … it would have difficult to spot me amongst the branches! But the sand reclaimed that tree and there is no trace left ..
It sounds like you had a magical perch!!! What wonderful memories…a tree beside the sea is enchanting. But, I understand about the water inching ever closer and eroding the shoreline. I have been to beaches that resemble nothing of what they once were; the sea has devoured the very places where I walked along collecting shells.
no the ocean is well back from it, the sand choked it slowly but surely …
Oh, I see…it was the sandy soil itself. Glad you enjoyed that tree as a child; sitting in a tree is a most wonderful place to be. 🙂 And what a beautiful view you had!
A tree house office?! That sounds like the most wonderful thing ever! It looks so peaceful and tranquil x
I do love to look out and see all the trees! Except when there is a serious storm, it is very peaceful indeed. 🙂
Linda, you have described the prettiest office with the most beautiful view! How blessed you are to have it – and thank you for including us in it by this post! I think it is so important to have our own nook. I don’t, myself – every corner in our mid-sized home belongs to everyone 😀 But it also means I can carry on dreaming woman-dreams of a new home with a wee small space of my own.
Coming to the end of your post, if I look over my shoulder at all you’ve written here, one thing stands out: quietness. The bits of sand from so many places, the memories each jar holds, the embrace of trees outside, the wind that must rustle through them, singing and whispering as they pass you at your desk…
Each is a quiet of its own. Each a gift.
Your comments are always a beautiful reflection! 🙂 The wind-song nature brings to us is magical; the song and the whisper clings to our hearts and brings us profound joy. Long ago, all the bedrooms of our house were full…I loved raising our four children and I loved their indoor chatter! The seasons change and life changes. Celebrate these moments of ‘indoor chatter’ and shared space. My cozy nook was once a chair in the dining room, but I would not change any of it. I remember those little scampering feet and how they grew bigger each day; every step is a moment of grace, a gift from God. We turn around and our children are all grown up!
You are so right, Linda. I can always dream but I won’t always have the present moment. It must be cherished.
Yes! The present moment must be cherished! 🙂
Oh Linda, this post is so beautiful! Your descriptive images made me feel like I was right there enjoying all the sights, sounds and smells of your tree house get-away, both in the present and from your childhood. What precious and sacred memories. And yes, the God who gives all these good things has even better blessings planned for us up ahead. May we not grow weary in following after the One whose hand made all things and better yet, restores all things to better than new through the sacrifice of Christ. Oh what a Savior! May our eyes view things with that eternal perspective, seeing through the trials of today to the glory of tomorrow. God bless you!
God is with us in these times. They are strange times to be sure. Yet, when we cling to God and His promises, He makes a way for us. When we focus on His eternal truths, we see that no matter what else is happening, His love is constant. 1 Corinthians 13:7: ‘We can bear all things in God’s divine love.’
It sounds like a lovely room–and how wonderful to have it.
It is wonderful to have a quiet place! When my children and grandchildren visit, my ‘quiet retreat’ is once again another bedroom where people can sleep. I have tried to make it cozy and welcoming. In the closet are stacks of children’s books, and a portable crib we can take out and set up. (In fact, my cozy retreat is quite popular with the family…) 🙂
What a view! I don’t know that wouldn’t slow me down when I was writing with a view like that. Good for you!
I do love to look out at the trees. In and of itself, a tree is a pretty amazing thing. Perhaps, the story of a tree is a true metaphor for life, as many have pointed out. A tree keeps growing, keeps giving. We too, must keep growing and giving all of our days.
A room with a view. Thank you for reminding me that we need a place to reflect, to be in sync with ourselves and our surroundings.
We most certainly need a quiet place. It need not be a formal place…I love to be out in the garden. There is no more beautiful a room than one with a blue sky for a roof! 🙂
My soul feels peaceful and joyful, reading of your special space. What a tangible reminder of how loving and generous our Father is. What a gift from Him!
We do need places where we can be still and collect our thoughts. You are so right…God gives us such wonderful gifts. And, He knows that we need moments of peace alone with Him.
Yes. And your sharing His gift to you powerfully testified to that lavish goodness!
🙂 🙂 🙂
What an absolutely lovely place you have there, I love it.
Thank you! Our veggie garden is very small, but we have had great fun! I like to grow herbs in pots and keep them on the back deck. The wind blows and the scent of the herbs is a healing, soothing thing.
I know I would love such an oasis as my own. Don’t have the space for it, but now you have me dreaming.
Dreaming is good! We never know where our dreams will lead! 🙂 Sometimes, we start with just one little idea, and before you know it, that little idea becomes a really big thing. I am very impressed with what people do with she sheds; an ordinary space becomes a unique and personal refuge.