Tag Archives: nature

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What’s Holding You Back?

The poor tree.  It’s spent a lot of years with this tire wrapped around its trunk.  You know that’s bound to have been a problem.  Yet, even with this tire in a position to restrain the tree, the tree has continued to grow.

I’m betting that years ago the tire didn’t even bother the tree.  As the tree grew thicker in circumference the tire started making its presence known.  If I were that tree, I’d be complaining……….. and so would you.   “How come I’m the only one with a tire wrapped around me. Lord, it’s not fair!”  Or the classic, “Well, if things weren’t like they are, I could be doing so much more.” Or how about this one. “Hey, have you noticed I have a tire wrapped around me?  Let me tell you about it.”(Or let me tell you about any and every problem that is in my life.  How much time have ya got?)

Poor, poor, pitiful me. I guess that’s just part of being human on this spiritual journey.  We focus on the bad, the problems, the headaches, the uncontrollable events in our lives.  We focus on the “tires” that surround us.  NOT THIS TREE!!!

This tree has taught me (and now you), a lesson.  A lesson in life.  A lesson in endurance and perseverance.  The lesson?  Keep on keeping on.

Instead of focusing on the tire, the tree focused on growing.  And grow it HAS!!  Down here in the South we would say that this is a “big ole” tree. It slowly but surely………….. (maybe I should say it patiently and steadily) grew.  The tire actually has not stopped the tree from growing. I’ve seen barbed wire wrapped around a tree that would eventually kill it.  Why?  Because the wire grew INTO the tree.  But this tree continued to patiently grow.  As it has grown, it has continued to swell inside of the tire.  The tree is in the tire, but not of the tire.

The tree is not so “poor” after all.  It has grown over time, in such a way that it is having an affect on its surroundings………… not letting the surroundings and situations affect it.  This is a strong and powerful tree.  I want to be like that!!

The lessons I’ve learned from this tree.  Have patience.  Keep going by growing.  Don’t focus and worry about what’s surrounding you.  Spend time and energy on what you let grow inside of you.  It’s more about your attitude than the “tire”.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had. Romans 15:5

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher

 

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Caught Until Mercy Came Along

deerfawn

Poor Baby Deer got caught in the fence.  But with my phone taking pictures in one hand, and my fence cutters in the other, this little fellow is fixin’ to experience mercy from me, ………and FREEDOM!

As  I was driving to the log barn, I saw this fawn at the edge of the field.  He took off running,….. well, running like a deer.  But this time when the poor thing tried to cross the fence, he got caught.  Lord have Mercy!  Wait, maybe I can have mercy on this young deer myself.  I’ll help him escape.

“Lord have Mercy!”  That’s the second most common sayin’ in the South.  It’s almost up there with “Bless Her Heart”.  It ranks just ahead of “Hey, whatcha doin’?”   This deer is in dire need of some mercy.  He is stuck.  He is trapped, caught, unable to get away, and having the “worsest” day of his life. (That’s badder than bad there).  Lord have Mercy. 😉

Hebrews 4:16 NIV  Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Definitions of the word mercy:   a compassionate treatment of those in distress, it’s a kind or forgiving treatment to someone in a bad or desperate situation.

Much like this deer, I’ve been in bad situations, even desperate situations.  Just like this deer I’ve cried out!  He cried out “Baaaaaa”, as I cut the fence from around him.  I’ve cried out “Lord have mercy” even as I guess God was in a spiritual sense “cutting me free from fences”. I’m sure you yourself have been caught a time or two.  Did you approach God for His mercy?  I’m betting you did like this deer and kept trying to get out of the situation all on your own.  We struggle and struggle to get out and away, all on our own too many times.  Lord have Mercy!

So take some advice from this deer.  Approach God, allow Him to approach you when you are trapped “in your fence”.  Accept this mercy and grace from above.  We don’t deserve it, but God is more than willing to give to us.  Lord have mercy…….. and thank you Lord.

PS  The baby deer was not hurt in any way (except maybe its pride), just lost a little hair.

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher, part time hero for a baby deer