Are you Prickly?

As I sat outside today on that old familiar “Prayer Chair” I tried to take in the scenery that I had missed seeing during winter. Surprisingly, only a few days into the “official” spring there were so many signs of new life. How I had missed these old friends! The breeze and the sun was warm as I prayed and meditated on God’s word. I marveled at how the bright sun and warm breezes made me even more thankful for God’s goodness. After I finished I sat and just breathed in the beauty. I remembered last spring how my granddaughter Riley asked me take her on one of our “tree lesson walks”. That was when I would take her to each kind of tree, show her the leaves, the bark and anything else that would help her remember the tree and it’s name. The older she has gotten the more names she has remembered. I remember a couple of years ago after a visit and a tree lesson, Riley and her Mom stopped at a McDonalds and Riley got up to the drive-up window and shrieked “My Mama and Papa have a Golden Rain tree and you ought to see it”. Needless to say the voice at the other end didn’t know what to think and quickly took their order. One of our favorite trees was the Sweet Gum tree. After looking at all the other trees she would want to see that one. One afternoon she came up to me as I worked in the yard and said “Where is the candy tree”? It took me awhile to know what she was talking about so she tried to clarify it by saying “you know…the gumball tree”! I laughed as I thought about the gumballs that she was talking about. Anyone who has seen a Sweet Gum tree knows that it’s gum balls are prickly little balls that can be quite a problem if you want a nice neat yard or if you step on one with your bare feet. So today as I looked at the “candy tree” I thought of my sweet Riley.

My Sweet Gum tree is a beautiful tree, with shiny green leaves that resemble the unusual shape of a maple tree. The thick, shiny leaves along with the trees overall shape makes a wonderful addition to any lawn except for what hides beneath the beautiful façade. They are what Riley refers to as the “gumballs”! These little things are usually considered a nuisance and some people even cut them down to get rid of the unwanted little balls.

Since this tree is one of the last to get leaves, today my tree is barren, with no signs of beauty only these prickly brown balls. I have met Christian people like my tree, on the outside they are stunning! They teach Sunday School, work in the nursery and even know that “church lingo”! They can praise the Lord with the best of them but when the cold winds blow there is nothing left but prickly balls of hate, unforgiveness, or pride. I don’t have to look to hard to find these prickly ball people, no farther than my mirror! I think all of us are susceptible to the devils tricks. He would like nothing better than for us to harbor bitterness, let pride grow unseen, or anything that would cause us to be separated from God. Anything to hurt our witness to those who watch our lives. The Lord says that the fruits of the spirit should not be prickly but beautiful, like LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, MEEKNESS, SELF-CONTROL!

So when the winter of old age, or the winds of suffering blows away my façade I pray that instead of prickly gum balls, people will see the true fruits of the Spirit in me!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

If you squeeze an orange you should get orange juice! When I get in a “squeeze” what comes out of me?

Temple Restoration!

In the book of Haggai it is found that God was unhappy that His Temple was in such disarray! It seems that the Israelites were more interested in other things and so let things go in the Temple. Weeds were growing up around it, shutters were hanging half off and the steps were rickety. The people had a bad habit of procrastinating and said “it is not a good time to rebuild the temple, maybe tomorrow”. God said through Haggai the prophet: “you need to take a good look at your life and your priorities”. He wanted them to take their eyes off of themselves and look at him.

I myself am a procrastinator, especially if the job seems overwhelming. I’m sure, as the days went by and the Temple was more and more in disrepair, it seemed impossible to get done and after all they had more important things to do. Anyway, all that activity kept their mind off of this looming task that need to be done. They found though that none of the things thought to be important, satisfied them, not money, clothes or food and drink! They never felt fulfilled no matter what they bought or ate!

It’s said that our bodies are “the Temple of God”. As far as temples go, mine is in total disarray! I have procrastinated when it comes to exercise or eating right. I have ignored the doctor’s warnings about my ever rising cholesterol level and the wear and tear that the added weight has on my joints. My energy level has hit bottom and I always feel tired. God said, “take a good hard look at yourself and think it over” (Wow that is powerful). I feel like it is time for me to restore this “temple” of mine. I want to be able to do more for God, I want to have lots of time to enjoy my kids and grandkids and I want to be the “temple” God designed me to be.

I love what God says to the people through Haggai the prophet:

Then God said: "Here's what I want you to do: Climb into the hills and cut some timber. Bring it down and rebuild the Temple. Do it just for me. Honor me. Haggai 1:8

I love it when he says, “Do it just for me”! Whether, like me, your body and health needs an overhaul or maybe your priorities could stand to have a clean up, think of it as doing it just for Him.