I'm on chapter 28 of The Purpose Driven Life. I finally found out the significance of the tree on the bookcover. Although, I probably could have guessed. According to the author, " When God wants to make a mushroom, he does it overnight, but when he wants to make a giant oak, he takes a hundred years. Great souls are grown through struggles and storms and seasons of suffering. Be patient with the process". That's something that I've always believed, as well.