PROTECT YOUR TRUNK

You wake up in your tent and lie in your sleeping bag enjoying the peacefulness of the morning. You reminisce about the long weekend. The weather was perfect, you did everything you wanted to, and you really enjoyed your time in God’s great outdoors. It’s not as bright out as you think it should, so you peek out the window and notice the heavy cloud cover. The clouds that were predicted to move in later that day are hovering low overhead.  They are drifting by rather quickly and then you here thunder off in the distance. You are now wide awake and jump out of your sleeping bag. If anyone is with you, you quickly get them moving as well. You bundle your belongings up and throw them in your vehicle, no time for neat packing this morning. Everything is out of the tent and you start taking it down, then it starts to rain…of course!  The rain is light at first so you move as quickly as possible, if you have kids with you, the tension may start to build. You may start barking orders at anyone in ear shot. Something like: “Hurry! Untie the fly! Zip the doors closed! Drop those poles! Move, let me do that! LET’S MOVE PEOPLE!” The tent is finally down and all that’s left is to pull up the stakes. Then the rain really starts to come down. You’re getting soaked, the rain water is running down your back and making its way to your underwear. One more stake left. You pull on it and it doesn’t budge. You suddenly remember this particular stake was also a challenge going into the ground when you set up camp. A tree root or rock has a fierce grip on the stake. Your shoes are full of mud and at this point, not an inch of you is dry. You keep pulling on the stake...nothing. Next you pull the tent loop away from the stake, thinking to yourself, “I’ll buy another stake;” “No one’s looking;” What’s the harm in leaving one stupid stake in the ground?” You throw the tent in your vehicle, jump in your seat, turn on the wipers, and crank up the windshield defroster. As you drive down the gravel road leaving your campsite and that stupid stake behind, you see a sign that states, “Thank you for removing everything from the campsite...” Ugh, a character failure to say the least. What you think and do when no one is around shines a little light into what your character is made of.

Photo credit: wallpaperscraft.com
 

I connect many things in life to trees. One’s character is like the trunk of a tree; you know a good one when you see it. It stands solid with a good root system supporting it. It’s poised with confidence and strong enough to support the branches up above. You’ll also know a bad trunk when you see it. The bark is peeling off or there are woodpecker holes everywhere. Sometimes the holes are big enough to house a colony of rodents. There can also be some trunks that deceive you. You’ll notice these ones after a storm, that’s when they really show their weakness. They will be torn apart revealing a hollow shell. They may have looked good on the outside, but the inside has been eaten away by pests. In our lives pests can come in many different forms; lies, gossip, selfishness and guilt can eat away at our insides like bugs. Surrounding yourself with negative people or leading an unfulfilling life can poke holes in your character like a woodpecker. Leading a life filled with honesty will reflect the sturdiest of trunks.

"Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."