It’s awesome to finally see trees budding and flowers blooming. This is one of my favorite times of year. God’s creativity is on display in the woods when you see the white dogwoods blooming alongside the pink redbud trees. It’s a great time for a walk in the woods…

And a great time for dads to employ a simple strategy to point the family toward Christ.

Take the crew on a walk and stop at a dogwood tree along the way to share The Legend of the Dogwood.

Here’s the information you want to share but make sure you do it in your own words and ask the kids to tell the story back to you. This is a simple but effective way to give your family a reminder about God’s love for us through His Son. As a matter of fact, one of my hopes and prayers is that I will one day walk in the woods with my grandchildren and have them eagerly share The Legend of the Dogwood with me. I’ll smile and know they learned it from their dad; because I know where he heard it.

The Legend of the Dogwood:

There is a legend, that at the time of the crucifixion, the dogwood had been the size of the oak and other forest trees. So firm and strong was the tree that it was chosen as the timber for the cross. To be used thus for such a cruel purpose greatly distressed the tree, and Jesus, nailed upon it, sensed this, and in His gentle pity for all sorrow and suffering said to it:

“Because of your regret and pity for My suffering, never again shall the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used as a cross. Henceforth, it shall be slinder and bent and twisted and its blossoms shall be in the form of a cross…two long and two short petals. And in the center of the outer edge of each petal there will be nail prints, brown with rust and stained with red, and in the center of the flower will be a crown of thorns, and all those who see it will remember.”