2.11.11
A few years ago I was helping a friend of mine clean up the side yard at his mom’s house. It was mid summer with sun out turned up to 11 and it was my job top uproot & destroy a box tree (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_tree). I’m not about to go into description about the box tree and its organic contribution to earth and the human race, but this box tree help shape a perspective that struck me this morning as something that I have since, forgotten.
For me, hard work with my hands, breaking a sweat on my face, and using my full body to accomplish a task at hand brings me a productive satisfaction that I have yet to duplicate in any other mental task, day job, or conversation. These moments of work help me to centralize my thoughts since usually the work doesn’t require mental strength, but physical diligence. On this sunny day though, the Lord shaped a few thoughts in my head about this tree and how I related to the difficulty it was giving me.
I began to think how I was the tree. I had branches, talents, ideas and these branches produced fruit (box trees don’t produce fruit, but many trees do.). If I have an idea typical I can put it into motion with the right motivation and inspiration ad it will have some type of product at the end of it. However, like a tree there are many branches and leaves that can sometimes look cluttered when looked at from afar. The point of this brief idea is not the main point however of the perspective that was growing. Because, what I was doing as playing the devil in this role by cutting the branches from this tree. I was maliciously hacking the branches away with no regard or care of it’s existence for the purpose of destruction and uprooting. I watched and thought as Satan was hacking down my ideas, my dreams, and my creativity.
I continued to ignorantly crush the hopes and visions of this former box tree with my pick axe as I made my way down to the root of it. Strewn around me were the branches and leaves of this tree and I knew, I would have it out soon and a cold drink was around the corner. To my dismay, the root of this tree was to say the least, solid. I hacked, and hacked, and hacked at this root and it barely took a beating by my efforts. This went on for about 20 minutes and in the meantime the metaphors made themselves apparent. I grew up in a home that celebrated the love of Jesus Christ. I knew who He was and is and he became central and core to my decision making and moral framework of my perspective. I (the devil) in this moment was trying to attack my faith, my root. I did not win. I stepped back from a moment and saw my faith before me in the ground, unharmed by my human efforts to destroy this massive root ball.
Bottom line: When it comes to faith I’ve had to remember who my core is. You can have faith about things and you will them produce nothing. But, when you have faith in Him, he will be your fortress. (Psalm 18:2). The world will try to destroy by stealing your ideas, breaking your thoughts and robbing you of joy from your material lifestyle. But, if your root is Christ in your life, Satan can never become between the love He has for you. (Rom 8:39)
I needed a fresh perspective on the power of faith and roots. The funny thing about this job I had was that I never pulled out that tree. I cut it down to the root and covered it with dirt and moved on. I felt I had to to be honest. After peering down and seeing my faith stare back at me in this form, it felt right to walk away. I carried this thought into this morning as I realized that this core has slipped from being central in my daily walk and feeding. I have not been the best friend, or husband, or brother, or son to the ones I love most. I have been focusing on my battered branches, my cut leaves and spoiled fruit and have forgotten that the Root of this has not yet died or been uprooted. I must make him central and core again to my day and existence. Praise God for the beauty of the mind and Spirit and the joy of human expression. Here’s to a great Friday.
