Winter Beauty

This morning as I was praying, I was struck with gratitude for the wonder and beauty of the natural world in Winter.  I was specifically thinking about even how the leaf-less trees can symbolize hope and steadfast faith.  During Winter, deciduous trees may lose their leaves and, to some, may appear devoid of life and boring or ugly.  However, it occurred to me that those trees "know" something I don't see or often appreciate.  The biological processes involved in tree growth, even including the processes involved in preserving the symbiotic relationships of some trees, ensure the long-term life and well-being of the tree.  They can symbolize hope for us because we know, as sure as we know the sun will rise, that in the spring a healthy tree full of green leaves will return.  For the most part, there is no fear that Spring will never come.  The surviving tree simply "waits" for the right environment to continue growing in a different way.  Whether I think the tree is beautiful in the winter or not is irrelevant because the tree serves its purpose in the world without fail -- yes, even in its eventual death it serves a great purpose.  How can I be more like that tree?  What can I do to obtain the courage to stand like a tree, serving my purpose on Earth not regarding the praise or judgement of the world?