An ancient proverb says, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.” Looking back on the past twenty years of life, it’s easy to see all the trees that should have been planted: we should have invested more, studied more, taken more picnics with the kids, appreciated others more, watched TV less, worried less, laughed more, enjoyed life more, and on and on.
It’s easy to see today all the trees we failed to plant twenty years ago. And it may be tempting to dwell on those good things left undone. God, however, has forgotten them; those sins of omission have been cast into the same sea of forgetfulness as our other sins.
Instead, we must be about the business of planting trees today. Paul said, “Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2) Yesterday will never be any different than it was, but the pages of now are still blank. Today is the day of salvation; today is the day to start planting trees.
