There is unrest in the forest, there is trouble with the trees....

Psalm 1:3
He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

There is a project with the state of Wisconsin to help clean up the trees on our property. This happens every 10-12 years or so and is a necessary action to maintain a healthy forest for the trees and the animals. 

First an assessment is done to see if there are any dead or dying trees that need to be removed because they are a danger due to falling over and causing injury or damage. Then the trees are assessed for disease and if diseased trees are found sometimes trees 10-30 feet around that one tree will need to be removed as well because the damage could be spreading underground. 

Once all the assessment is complete, the work can begin, but the company can't go in with the biggest trucks and equipment available. They need to find the right tools for the job to minimize any damage to healthy trees and have an organized clean up.

I am thinking tree harvesting is lot like camp...
Campers come each week to hear and participate in the programs we spend many hours preparing. As we work with them and spend time together we see where they may need to be lifted up or pruned. We have to be careful on both accounts though to do what is right for the camp as a whole or the individual camper as false praise and over-pruning can cause damage as well. Sometimes the campers come to realize what may need to be removed from their lives to help them live in a healthier relationship with God. 

As leaders, we don't always know what lies underneath the need and how the camper got there so we need to keep in mind those aspects of their life. The maintenance of a forest takes years. Same thing sometimes with people and their spiritual life.

The right tools need to then be put in place. Brimstone and fire may have its place, but most often it is the small prayer, word of encouragement and written note that have the most meaning. 

This may seem like a stretched analogy, but I think this can also apply to our own spiritual lives. Do you ever stop to take an assessment of the people or attitudes around you that are creating your own root system to deteriorate? Do you find ways to manage your spiritual life in healthy ways like setting boundaries or really celebrating a Sabbath? Sometimes trees that have lived their life cycle are left in the forest to help house other animals - do you share what you have learned with others or build relationships that are mutually beneficial?  

Ch Ch Ch Changes

Genesis 8:22 (ESV)

While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

Hopefully everyone has noticed the weather changing, the leaves turning color and falling to the ground, the frost advisories that are coming out and the shorter days. I know I have. I admit that I am a summer girl. I tell people that I would make a good lizard sitting out on a rock soaking up the sun! I am not looking forward to days getting shorter, having to lug water to the animals and freezing my fingers while I do chores.

What is interesting with the verse I picked for this blog is that in the NIV the word "remains" is replaced by the word "endures". Endure is a verb that means to suffer or tolerate. Even though I grew up in Wisconsin it still feels that I endure winter every year. 

I think these are interesting word choices as we look at our walk with God as well since we are of this earth. There are things we need to endure. I think each thing or situation is different for each person, but I know the path of faith is not always easy. What is also interesting is if you look at synonyms for endure: bear (well, bears can hibernate :-)), stand, suffer, tolerate, sustain and undergo. The word sustain and undergo stick out to me. In Wisconsin we can't have the beautiful springs unless the earth can undergo a transformation and flowers can regenerate, trees can grow deeper in the ground and have a seeming time of rest. The way the seasons work also helps the earth to sustain resources. We noticed that especially this past summer when things get out of whack and there isn't a sustaining rain to help all the growth.

As you endure on this earth, what helps to sustain you through the difficult or changing times?

I am looking forward to the Winter Youth Retreat the end of January - that can be a time of enduing through the long months until we can spend time at Tamarack again.

If you aren't someone that can make it to the retreat...what helps you?