Two of our near neighbors just broke our hearts. They had a timber company come in and cut down all of their pine trees. I do understand that pine trees are not as good as oaks. They fall over much more easily, they don’t really give that much shade, and they can carry those pesky pine bark beetles. But instantly, our screening vanished
In just a few years the oaks that are left will grow up and out and fill in the holes, but it will be a long few years. We lost a lot of the sound barrier when the machines that come in to clip the trees at ground level clear out the brush in their passage. The neighbor noise and traffic noise has increased exponentially. In fact, one of their dogs can see movement through the openings now and barks at us constantly.
But there is something to be said for cleaning things out. When I clean out a closet I find things I thought I had lost. I also find room I didn’t know I had. Sometimes we need to clean out our lives the same way. It isn’t so much all the “wrong” things we are doing, as it is the sheer number of things we are doing. Our lives are so cluttered we no longer have time for the good things that need doing, for helping one another, and for helping ourselves to grow. We are too busy working. We are too busy having fun. We are too busy living an earthly life to spend much time on the spiritual. No wonder so many of us are often as carnal as the Corinthians.
I think of Paul’s request to those Corinthians in 2 Cor 6:11-13, especially as I read it recently in the CEV: Friends in Corinth, we are telling the truth when we say that there is room in our hearts for you. We are not holding back on our love for you, but you are holding back on your love for us. I speak to you as I would speak to my own children. Please make room in your hearts for us. I can imagine God thinking exactly the same thing about us. “Make room for Me, people!”
And then there is the room we need to make in our minds. In the past I have had days when my mind was racing with things I needed to do, trying my best to create a logical order so I could get it all done. Other times, I am ashamed to say, my mind has been so filled with things I would like to say to someone who has hurt me that there was simply no room for anything else. Prayer? I couldn’t even get past the first sentence before I started telling God exactly what I wanted to say to that person.
We need to make room in our lives for the things that truly matter. We need to make room in our minds for the Word of God. We need to make room in our hearts for others. Clear out the brush that obscures your vision; clear out the useless trees that can cause more harm than good. Make room for the good things, for the things that last forever.
I cling unto your testimonies: O Jehovah, put me not to shame. I will run the way of your commandments, When you enlarge [make room in] my heart. Teach me, O Jehovah, the way of your statutes; And I shall keep it unto the end. Psalm 119:31-33.
Dene Ward
For hints, help, and instructions on using this blog, click on the FAQ/Tutorial page on the left sidebar
In just a few years the oaks that are left will grow up and out and fill in the holes, but it will be a long few years. We lost a lot of the sound barrier when the machines that come in to clip the trees at ground level clear out the brush in their passage. The neighbor noise and traffic noise has increased exponentially. In fact, one of their dogs can see movement through the openings now and barks at us constantly.
But there is something to be said for cleaning things out. When I clean out a closet I find things I thought I had lost. I also find room I didn’t know I had. Sometimes we need to clean out our lives the same way. It isn’t so much all the “wrong” things we are doing, as it is the sheer number of things we are doing. Our lives are so cluttered we no longer have time for the good things that need doing, for helping one another, and for helping ourselves to grow. We are too busy working. We are too busy having fun. We are too busy living an earthly life to spend much time on the spiritual. No wonder so many of us are often as carnal as the Corinthians.
I think of Paul’s request to those Corinthians in 2 Cor 6:11-13, especially as I read it recently in the CEV: Friends in Corinth, we are telling the truth when we say that there is room in our hearts for you. We are not holding back on our love for you, but you are holding back on your love for us. I speak to you as I would speak to my own children. Please make room in your hearts for us. I can imagine God thinking exactly the same thing about us. “Make room for Me, people!”
And then there is the room we need to make in our minds. In the past I have had days when my mind was racing with things I needed to do, trying my best to create a logical order so I could get it all done. Other times, I am ashamed to say, my mind has been so filled with things I would like to say to someone who has hurt me that there was simply no room for anything else. Prayer? I couldn’t even get past the first sentence before I started telling God exactly what I wanted to say to that person.
We need to make room in our lives for the things that truly matter. We need to make room in our minds for the Word of God. We need to make room in our hearts for others. Clear out the brush that obscures your vision; clear out the useless trees that can cause more harm than good. Make room for the good things, for the things that last forever.
I cling unto your testimonies: O Jehovah, put me not to shame. I will run the way of your commandments, When you enlarge [make room in] my heart. Teach me, O Jehovah, the way of your statutes; And I shall keep it unto the end. Psalm 119:31-33.
Dene Ward
For hints, help, and instructions on using this blog, click on the FAQ/Tutorial page on the left sidebar
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