Very long branch
Overreaching
Has life seemed like a tangle of branches lately? Sort of like a tree, or a bush, that has a bunch of sucker limbs that look like they are trying to strangle the tree?
I have an hawthorne tree in my back yard. The silly thing thinks it can go wherever it wants and it has now sent one bough clear across the yard. All by itself. Away from the tree. So now the tree is spending its energy reaching as far as it can with this one branch, while the rest of the tree sits in one spot in a tangle of brush. What does it think it will accomplish, sending that one branch out to Timbuktu? Anyway, it’s kinda creepy.
On second thought, maybe the tree is thinking survival. If it concentrates on growing one branch, then it won’t suffocate?
Tangents
It made me wonder about going off on tangents. It happens in conversation all the time. I suppose it happens in our lives, as well. It’s called detours. Or rabbit trails. Or doing our own thing. Uh oh, maybe that last one fits.
A tangent is a departure from the norm, or as the dictionary says, “to change suddenly to another line of action.”
With the heat of this summer, coming on the heels of a year of isolation makes departures from the norm look more like survival. With one change after another coming at us, how can we do anything else but roll with the circumstances? Have we been derailed?
Or, like this hawthorne tree, maybe we push out some branches and just keep growing them, and ignore the rest.
Except that concentrating on only one branch ignores the life support of the main trunk.
Regaining Balance
If we are looking at regaining our equilibrium and health after the hits of the last year or so, then we must return to the beginning. The starting place. Where the bedrock of life resides.
Our God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is immutable. He has not moved. No circumstances have sent Him on any tangent. And His plans for us have not changed, either. Where He has called, He will supply no matter the difficulties.
He has always been faithful, through all generations. He leads us with grace. Where it looks unfamiliar to us, He knows the way. He will continue to lead. We need to keep our eyes on Him and follow the instructions in His Word that He has given us.
He will empower us to move forward. He will ensure that we are balanced and NOT throwing out branches in all odd directions, for we know where we are going. And we know Who is out in front.
We can breathe freely.
Back to the Bedrock.
Back to the Breath.
I cannot hear this often enough. Thank you, thank you for sounding the return so clearly, so compellingly.
You are so welcome, Laurie. I need to hear it myself constantly. So glad our God is patient with us!