Becoming Mighty
THE GIGANTIC ADVENTURE OF A TINY ACORN
Once upon a time, there was a tiny green acorn growing on the smallest branch of Mighty Mother Oak. As he bobbled in the wind and danced among her leaves, he admired his beautiful mother. She was enormous, sturdy, and useful. Her noble presence attracted folk from across the countryside. Children would come play on her branches, travelers would lean against her trunk, and happy families would rest in her shade. She was greatly loved, and hardly ever alone. The tiny acorn dreamed of the day when he’d be a significant giant, just like her.
Then, that day seemed to arrive. It was autumn and his mother’s leaves had all blushed scarlet. A stiff wind blew and the acorn, who had grown robust and brown after a summer’s sunshine, was released from his home among her branches. He soared through the air triumphantly, barely able to contain his excitement of what was to come. What would it be like to sprout roots? How many branches would he have? Would he even possibly become a mightier oak than his great mother?
The sharp pain of impact quickly interrupted his thoughts. He bounced and spun in a flurry down from his mother’s hill, smacking his cap on rocks and scuffing his shell over cracked ground. Finally, he rolled to a stop. On top of aching all over, he suddenly realized that he was also completely alone. The little acorn was shocked. In his dreams of becoming great, pain certainly hadn’t been part of the plan.
The following days were hot, and the sun baked down on him. All he could see was bugs and dirt and stiff blades of boring grass. He grew impatient. He was lonely. He wondered how long this all was going to take. One day, he heard shuffling in the grass. Abruptly, the sniffling snout of a squirrel was upon him. Startled, he tried to shoo the squirrel, but squirrels are quite hard to shoo when you’re only an acorn. Paws clutched at his sides, and before he knew it, he was rocketing through the grass.
Irritation melted into excitement as a thought blossomed in the acorn’s mind. He wondered if this furry fellow had been sent to help him along in his quest of becoming mighty. The more he considered it, the more he became certain. The acorn felt more hopeful about his future than ever, and he was confident that nothing could spoil his mood.
Coming to an abrupt stop, the squirrel chucked him to the ground, turned its rump to his face and began digging in a frenzy. The acorn nearly started to laugh at how silly squirrels can be. He tried to move away from the bushy, swishing tail, but before he could manage the animal spun around again, apprehended him and shoved him deep into the black earth. Paw-fuls of soil started to spray into the hole and the acorn panicked as he realized that he was being buried alive. He tried to scream for help, but it’s quite hard to scream when you’re only an acorn.
The squirrel’s chittery chirps and labored puffs became more and more muffled as the hole was filled up. Finally, the horrified oak nut was entirely entombed in dirt and all was frightfully quiet. His hopes were completely shattered. If acorns could cry he would have unleashed a flood. But they can’t. So, he mourned in silence as worms slithered around him, burrowing deep to escape the coming cold of winter.
After indulging in a long spell of self-pity, he tried his best to accept his own death with some nobility. He resigned himself to be forever tiny, unuseful, and forgotten. He hardened into a gray husk, and for the first time in his life he felt nothing.
Up above, a thick blanket of snow soon covered his unmarked grave. The ground froze around him. For months he only existed, not fully asleep or awake, mummified deep in the icy mud.
Until one day, a warm wind was sent to melt the world once again. Frigid water trickled down, thawing his cap and shell. Before he could get around to ignoring the sensation, something inside him stirred. His mind cleared for a moment to take note of this unusual feeling. Then, something inside him twisted horribly. Now he was fully awake. His insides started to wriggle and writhe about with an ever- increasing intensity. Soon, he was in the worst agony of his life.
The little Acorn wanted to wail. He wanted to be back with his mother, bobbing in her branches. He wanted the sunshine back. He wanted his dreams back. He would have even gone back to be with the stupid squirrel, anything but suffering this horrible pain all alone in the dark.
Pressure built up inside him. He felt like he was going to burst. Fresh alarm overtook him as his sides finally split open with a singular sharp crack. The torment was nearly unbearable as alien arms and legs twisted out in all directions, tearing through the dirt.
Suddenly, his grave was much too small. He felt stooped over and cramped up. He shifted, shrugging new shoulders and raising what seemed to be a head, up, up, until his crown was just beneath the surface of the ground. One final stretch, and he broke through.
He could see the sun again. He could hear birds. He smelled fresh spring air. The worst of his discomfort melted away, leaving only new sore limbs rooted in dirt. The little acorn was stunned. Much to his own surprise, it seemed as if his season of horror had finally passed. A new chapter was beginning. He had come back from the dead.
Over the coming weeks, he came to understand everything more fully. He truly was no longer an acorn. Buds started to unfold, his slender stem grew strong, and he could barely believe that he had actually become the tiniest of trees. He was well on his way to becoming mighty. His transformation had just been much different than what he had expected. Eventually, he was able to accept that every ounce of his pain was very necessary. By the time he had become big enough to offer shade to a squirrel, he was even thankful for it.
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
2 Corinthians 4:16-17