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TOGETHER SHARING SUNLIGHT
How many times have you passed by something without really noticing it before? Do you look straight ahead and forget to pay attention to the scenery around you?
Such was the case for me as I have been mowing my Grandma’s lawn this summer. I mow the lawn right next to where her wildflowers are and usually I just keep driving and looking at the flowers as I passed by. But, on July 11th something was different as I took in the floral arrangement.
I noticed that this “community” wasn’t just comprised of wildflowers. There were other vibrant members as well. These members include trees, mustard, milkweed, flowers, grass, thistles, and other vegetation. While these plants have different purposes and outward appearances, their roots all share the same soil. Time spent enjoying the sunlight is also a common past time.
“…Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes for themselves….It is God who clothes the wild grass—grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven….” Matthew 6:28-30 TEV
How each of these members arrived at their destination is also different. Some seeds could have been scattered by animals or the wind, others could have been planted by human hands, and the rest just seem to grow without knowing how they got there.
But, regardless of their outward appearances and how they were sown, these plants are all growing together in harmony and prove that differences can coexist.
This “plant community” can teach us about life. All people are different on the outside and share the earth God gave us to enjoy. While our purposes and dreams and talents may be different, we can collectively live our lives so that we share the Light of the Son with others.
I am reminded of a song we used to sing in Sunday School in my younger days. I don’t know the title, but I do remember a few lines:
“A seed of love is planted and grows and the Spirit shines through. You got to have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness; for this is the fruit of God’s Spirit. Then there’s goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” I think there was more to the song, but I can’t remember the rest; however, the second time through we sang “seed of joy” instead of love and repeated the rest of the song.
“But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as these.” Galatians 5:22-23 TEV
What seeds do you have that you can scatter? To bear fruit, you need to plant your seeds. Share the SonLight with others!
*****
TREE VS. PATH
When a tree falls on your path, it may be easier to pick up the branches than to jump over it or go around it.
Life can be like a path. You have dreams and goals and know where you want to go. There may be bends, twists, or turns along the way, but just when the trail gets smooth and straight, you come across a fallen tree blocking the path.
How are you going to move the tree? Walking this path was supposed to be easy. The first thing you could do is pray: Should I try to jump over it? Is it possible to get around it?
You could jump over it, but keep in mind this tree isn’t a small seedling. It is an older, tall tree with a wide trunk. If you tried to jump over it, you could get hurt. You might fall when you got to the other side or you might hook one of your body parts during the jump.
Is it possible to get around it? Because of its tallness, the tree takes up the whole path from one side to the other. If you veered off the path of life and took the ditch, who knows what is hiding in the weeds. Going around it may cause harm to you as well.
Once you pray about it and have determined that it’s not safe to jump over or go around this obstacle, you have a couple choices. You can just stop there on your life path and that is where you’ll end up or you can start picking up the branches. Start with the little ones first and throw them off into the ditch. Gradually work your way up to the biggest ones. Now, all that’s left is the main trunk.
You can’t move it by yourself. Maybe some friends or family members could help you. Invite them down your path of life.
Now, that God helped you pick up the branches and your friends and family provided muscle power, you can continue traveling the path of life. When you get to the end, you can look back and see all the support you had along the way.
When we are faced with roadblocks in life, we need to seek God’s help in knowing what to do: Do we stop where we’re at? Can we get over it or around it safely? Would it be easier to sometimes just pick up the pieces and move on?
Life is not a smooth, straight path. If it was, it would be perfect. You can’t get from the beginning to the end, without experiencing setbacks, pain, obstacles, or difficulties. But, with Jesus lighting the way, you will be on the right track.
© July 12, 2009 by Kara Tollerud
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