April 23, 2014
Withering
Wood turners are
always on the lookout for tree branches and stumps to turn on their lathes. Six
weeks ago Bill had an opportunity to pick up some willow and he immediately
sealed the ends of freshly cut logs to keep them from cracking as they dry. A
couple days ago I went out into his shop and found seven inches of new growth
sprouting out of the logs. I suppose by sealing the ends the moisture is
retained, but I can’t get over the fact the logs are acting like they are alive
even though they are dead. I thought of the Lord’s analogy of the vine and the
branches. “If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown
away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned (John
15:6 NIV).” It occurs to me that there are folks who are cut off and withering,
yet they’re unaware they’re ready to be picked up and thrown into the fire.
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Gail;
-----What a deeply profound analogy! Even I was going, “But Gail! But Gail! It is putting forth new life! And even the Bible makes big of the shoot growing from the stump of Jesse. Why so sure the new shoot is yet dead?” Bill sealed the log. The growth could only be coming from itself. Conversely, the stump of Jesse is yet rooted in the life-giving soil. Jesse’s new shoot comes forth not from itself, but from the resources God provides. Furthermore, its resource is perpetual. The poor little shoot from the log is subject to the end of a finite resource.
-----I’ve always been aware of the multiplicity of my moods and attitudes. Among them have been many and still are some rather slimy ones. Ones I would just as soon not have. Ones I wish would go away. They are like the sealed log. They’re dead. But they’re hanging around. My prettier moods and attitudes grow forth from me anyway. And that is good. As it is with this log of Bill’s, seeing those shoots doesn’t mean there’s life inside. Believer and non-believer alike have this same function occurring in their temporal souls.
-----If we really want to be sure of our eternal destiny, we have to pay attention to the roots more than the shoots. Now, that may seem almost counter to everything we’ve heard, but think about Bill’s log and, maybe, Barney Frank in the same frame of mind. Mr. Frank is not devoid of wonderful thoughts and feelings and attitudes. He is temporally alive just like the rest of us and puts forth some purely golden shoots, too. We all do. The reason I chose Mr. Frank for this illustration is not because he produces some extraordinarily nasty and hostile temperaments. So do I, to my shame. So do we all, from time to time.
-----I chose Mr. Frank because those of us who are eternally alive put our roots into God’s soil by a confessional, repentant attitude, matter not that these yet effect only incomplete behavioral change. Confession and repentance are more components of the new life’s operating system, just as is gratitude. And that operating system is roots in the ground. But death finds no attraction to either God or His life giving soil. It rejects that soil and passes judgment upon God. I can not say Mr. Frank may not have a root planted. But I can say that he judges God upon at least one choice he makes which God specifically says not to make. Any refusal to confess an error of any degree is a statement that you are right and God is wrong. Doing so makes sealant upon the ends of your log. Continuing to do so makes even more. It’s problematic. Admitting the error and sticking a root in the soil, however, is truly refreshing.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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