HOLLOW INSIDE, FIND FULLNESS

As the sun began to shine upon the neighborhood it became very apparent how much snow fell the night before. There was a thick, white blanket hanging on everything in sight. Power lines were sagging lower than normal, and when the slightest breeze whispered by, they bounced and appeared stretched to their limit. The branches of evergreen trees hung low from the weight, causing the lower branches to drape on the ground. The bare oak and maple trees didn’t seem to be bothered by the extra weight, but the moisture from the snow was dripping off the limbs and running down the trunk.

While clearing the steps and sidewalk of the fresh snow, it felt heavy and full of moisture. Water ran off the scoop of the shovel every time it was lifted off the ground. With clear skies overhead, the wind started to build while the power lines swayed back and forth, releasing snow until they were finally clear. As the winds continued, the trees didn’t fare as well - several evergreens had branches break off within a foot of the trunk, and the oaks and maples began to lose many smaller branches.

The scenery was very different later that day, most of the snow had melted, but the damage left behind was very apparent. There was a large tree that had the main trunk break off just above the ground. The heavy snow and wind had taken its toll on the tree. What really stood out was that the trunk was completely hollow on the inside, so hollow that I was amazed it was able to stand, regardless of the weight of the snow. A tree that appeared healthy on the outside was, in fact, empty on the inside.

Colossians 2:8-10 (NIV) See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the element spiritual forces of this world rather than Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness…

BUSY AS A BEAVER

Busy as a beaver, or so the saying goes, right? Christmas can be a very busy time of year, traveling to see family, re-connecting with friends, buying gifts, sending cards, baking, decorating the tree, going to church…the list goes on and on.

There is a very distinct difference between being busy and busy-ness. The action of busy-ness can be defined as things we feel we “need” to get done, “should” get done, or ”want” to get done, but don’t necessarily benefit us or those close to us. Busy-ness can take away from time spent with those that mean a lot to us, or like spending time reflecting on the birth story of Jesus.

Being busy as a beaver has purpose…meaningful purpose.

As Mr. or Mrs. Beaver waddle through the small brush in their life, the focus is to find suitable branches they can use to build a safe and secure lodge.

The large trees they encounter can be a source of food and for building dams and flood areas to increase their habitat.

As busy as beavers are, they don’t do it for show, they do it in private.  They’re also very hard to get pictures of, though I was able to get this one very lame picture of Mr. or Mrs. Beaver.

The beaver is that round blob on the left

They even eluded my trail camera, either by moving so fast the camera couldn’t catch them, or by moving so slow they didn’t activate it.

Notice the downed log

        The beaver eluded the camera but you can see a lot of that log missing

I do admire their purpose driven life, but also really wonder what their dentist bill looks like.

Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

KEEP DIGGING

My wife and I were enjoying a leisurely boat ride on a nearby river one sunny summer afternoon. Of course, I told my wife it would be leisurely, but we both know I’m always on the hunt for something.

The sun was high in the sky causing every ripple in the water to sparkle like thousands of stars. We were heading north upstream when we noticed two bald eagles overhead. The eagles were soaring back and forth from one bank of the river to the other. Every so often a gust of wind would lift the eagles higher towards the sun and then they would swoop back down continuing to the hunt for an afternoon meal.

Eventually, we motored past the eagles to a narrower part of the river. This was a place that seemed more conducive for the prey I was after. As we continued upstream, the perfect location appeared like an oasis in the desert. It was a bank of the river that was a mixture of sand and rocks that were undisturbed by humans. I told my wife we were going to beach the boat on the bank so I could walk around and stretch my legs. The boat softly pierced its way through the sand and finally came to rest on the bank. I jumped out of the boat, grabbed the anchor rope and tethered it to a large downed tree. My wife put her feet up on the edge of the boat and started to soak up the sun.

Walking the bank with the sun shining over my shoulder, I scanned the sand and rocks looking for any sign of something sparkling back at me. After several minutes a sparkle appeared, and it was exactly what I was looking for…a deep red, raisin sized agate. It was small, but it was precisely what I was on the hunt for this day. The rest of my stroll was uneventful, so I wandered back to my wife and the boat. As I approached the boat, something caught my eye; it wasn’t a sparkle, but more of a glow. The object was different than any other stones around it. I bent over to pick up the nickel sized object, but it didn’t budge. I started brushing the sand away from around it and kept brushing the sand away until eventually the object was unearthed. It was the shape of a rounded pyramid and the size of a softball…it was a chalcedony agate! To this day, it has been my most captivating find, mostly because I had to keep digging to see what lay underneath.

A friend reminded me lately that a blog about agates was in order.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trail. for when he stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

BEING HUMBLE HAS IT REWARDS

Have you had 15 seconds of fame?  Are you still waiting for it to happen? Maybe you don’t want the attention and feel more comfortable standing in the shadows. Is it possible to enjoy both?

I think everybody will have a moment of “fame” at some point in their life. It may be showing off talents for many to see or being the center of attention when a presentation flops, however fame isn’t always a positive experience.

Trees seem to have a good balance between fame and staying the shadows. In the springtime, they sprout new buds and produce some spectacular flowers that attract the attention of many creatures. During the summer, their lush green foliage can be easily overlooked because it’s everywhere. In the fall, their magnificent color change draws people outdoors to catch a picture of the beautiful scenery. During the winter months when the nights are long and their branches are bare, trees are more subtle. Even during times of subtleness, trees have a way of supporting other things in having their moment.

One of my favorite sights is the horizon just before sunrise. As the sky starts to turn from black to a deep blue, the plain, dark silhouette of trees helps accentuate the color scheme. Slowly, the deep blue sky lightens, and when the clouds cooperate, the sky glows with a combination of yellow and orange. Once again, the dark silhouette of trees helps to accentuate the beautiful canvas…sometimes being in the shadows helps others to shine.

Matthew 23:12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, whoever humbles himself will be exalted.