From Tree to Tree

Preface


I have traveled extensively globally during my thirty-year career. One day after retiring, it occurred to me that I never talk about God or religion to anyone—anywhere. I can talk to people at my place of worship with no problems, but I rarely speak of my faith elsewhere. I wondered why.
While drinking coffee on my patio and watching the wind blow through the trees, I decided I didn’t talk about it because I thought it was too complicated. I was not prepared to engage, and I didn’t have a plan. I needed a process a protocol, something short, to the point, and engaging. That’s when I got the urge to write a book and to make a plan to encourage a conversation about God.
From the beginning, I wanted to write about conversation, conversion, growth, and maturity. I wanted to describe the journey of a new Christian and the responsibility of a mature Christian to assist in the growth of each other. I wanted to examine the progress of moving from a witness to a mentor. I wanted something that was not confrontational—and that two people could engage in.
Johnny Carson and David Letterman popped into my head. They had long, successful careers of talking to people in short clips. They focused on their guests and not on themselves. They gave brief introductions and then asked questions. They always kept the focus on the guest, not asking long, involved questions or projecting that they already knew the complete story. They fed off their guests’ replies and flowed through their lives. Neither Johnny nor David ever went beyond about fifteen seconds.
I needed something short as an introduction. I decided to use a fifteen-second approach. After quickly introducing myself, they would know who I am and what I am about, and then I could turn the focus to them. That approach seemed to make for a more interesting conversation. Did I mention I am an introvert?
The purpose of this book is to engage quickly and spread the ideas of love and Jesus. If a new conversion experience happens, there is a path to maturity, growth, and a newfound faith in God. As I watched the wind blowing the limbs of the trees around me, I thought about the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden, the tree Jesus was crucified on, and the trees in my neighborhood. The Word of God is eternal, resulting in the title of this book.