Tree Trimming

It's tree-trimming day! Now, I love trees. But as much as I love trees, so much more do I hate trimming them. I mean, trees grow just fine out in the wild, don't they? No problem! So why do we feel like we must "domesticate" the trees in our yards by trimming them?

Still, I have driven down roads with breath-taking scenery flooding my senses, and have given thought to just how much more beautiful that setting would be if those trees were cleaned up a bit. 

I recently moved into a home with quite a few trees in its yard. These trees were mature and beautiful. Ok, more than "mature," those trees were old. So old, in fact, that one of them came tumbling down in a huge thunderstorm we had last spring.  Once I was settled into my new home, I began looking around at things I wanted to do to update the home and make it "mine." In my search, I began to notice that most of my trees had dead branches that needed to be trimmed off. So began the process ...

The most immediate need was to cut branches off that hung dangerously low and close to my roof. The damage to my roof would have been more than I could afford. So, clip ... they were gone. Then I was able to begin trimming some smaller branches that, again, hung too close to the house. Other smaller trees had dead branches as well, and needed trimming. I was pleased with these efforts as my beautiful trees were looking even better!

The next spring, I began to notice something else: I began to notice (to my great surprise) that without all those dead branches, the trees in my yard were growing fuller and even more beautiful than they were before! It seemed like new life was beginning to happen! So this time, I began to snip off all of the little shoots that were now growing out of the main trunks and off the larger branches. The trees (or were they bushes before?) were now beginning to take on beautiful shapes. All those dead branches were gone, and the new life that was forming as a result was being gently guided in an upward direction, thereby reaching its maximum potential and beauty.

And of course, this got me to thinking: isn't that exactly what God does with us? He loves us enough to meet us right where we are. But He also loves us enough to not leave us there! He "trims" off the "dead" stuff ... negative and/or wrong thinking patterns, beliefs, behaviors, attitudes and ideas ... and "shapes" us into the beautiful person He created us to be, fully capable of reaching our "maximum potential" to accomplish the goals for which He created us.

Those are my thoughts. What are yours?

How Gullible Are You!?!

I just gotta say ... I can't believe how gullible we are!

Yesterday morning on Good Morning America, they did a story about a young man who had a desire to experience what he considered to be stardom, along with all its benefits. He wanted his 15 minutes of glory, just as he has seen well-known movie stars, singers and sports personalities receive.  Fame and fortune, only without the hard work and struggles to get there.

So, this young man set out to accomplish his goal. He first changed his appearance to look cool. He then got together with a group of his friends, and walked through Central Park in New York City. The young man, donned in his cool outfit, new hair-do, and sunglasses, and played the part of a well-known, popular star of some sort. His friends played the parts of bodyguards and news photographers.

Before long, a crowd began to gather, each wanting to see what all the hubbub was about. All it took was one question from the so-called news people, and it was all over. This was a star ... in their very own presence! The fake "news people" conducted "interviews" with the folks in the crowd, who "remembered" seeing this young man in what he (the on-looker being interviewed) thought was his first movie. "I thought he did a good job!" said the man being interviewed. Another remembered hearing the "singer/star's" song. "I liked it!"

As you can guess by the title of this blog, none of these supposed accomplishements by the star-wannabe ever actually happened! The kicker was that all this commotion created a buzz, and the guy actually ended up as a news headline on Good Morning America!

Are we that enthralled with stardom, that we can believe in even the fakes? Why is it that we can be so gullible  as to believe anything that comes down the pike? I can speak this story because I was one who was gullible ... naive ... as a child. I know the feeling of being taken in, and I know the pain of defeat, dissappointment and betrayal. I remember the moment when all that left me. I was a young woman at the time, in a crowd of my peers at a Tom Jones concert. The concert was held in a circular building, and Mr. Jones had to run down an aisle to get to the stage to perform. Before he did that, his bodyguards lined both sides of the aisle, linked arm-in-arm all along the way. I remember thinking, "How rediculous! These are not screaming teenagers ... these are men and women! What do they think will happen?" Well, I was in for a shock. These folks were just as wild, and just as dangerous, as any concert I've ever seen! Bras were being thrown into the aisle, and the bodyguards had all they could do to hold the crowd back!

Well, at least Tom Jones was a real star. Unlike the young man in GMA's news story, Mr. Jone's popularity was well-known and deserved. 

We believe. Yet we seem to have so much trouble believing truth! We fall for just about anything, but we question, discuss and even argue and fight over issues that are important. Especially about issues concerning spirituality.  "You believe what you want to believe, and I'll believe what I want to believe, and we'll tip-toe through the tulips together." All in the name of peace and acceptance.

Here's the thing: It doesn't matter what you believe, or what I believe. What matters, and what's important, is what GOD says! He is God. He's not going to adjust Himself for humanity. We are to "adjust ourselves" to His thoughts and His ways. Ok, running and screaming because a star (or a supposed "star") is in your midst is not going to get you into, or keep you out of, Heaven. But there are important issues and beliefs that will! We need to get back on track and know what GOD says about all that.