The other day, Mike decided that we had to mow the lawn (again) before the rain started. He offered to push while I rode the lawnmower, but I told him I needed the exercise, so I ended up doing the trimming. After a tussle with a spark plug and an uncooperative gas line, I finally hit my stride and was making progress.
As I was completing yet another drunken waltz with the lawnmower around an evergreen tree, I noticed that the ash tree on the corner was completely devoid of leaves, dead and emaciated. Then, toward the east end of the property, there was another one. I knew that we had a couple of dead ones, but now that the leaves had started to bud, and the yard had greened up, the necessity of cutting them down was definitely underscored.
Now, every time I back out of the driveway, my eyes immediately go to the dead trees, which are an eyesore on an otherwise beautiful boulevard. As I pulled out again today, I started thinking about how the dead tree reminds me of my life.
At face value, a dead tree isn't really that big of a deal, but a dead tree can become a problem if it is impeding the growth of other shrubbery and trees around it. Sure, it's not sucking up moisture anymore, but its mere presence may take up space that a budding tree or shrub might need in order to reach its potential.
Likewise, a dead tree can become a hazard to people. A strong breeze or wind could be enough to knock the tree over so that it falls and destroys property or harms someone. In short, unless the tree is in the middle of a forest, it is generally a good idea to cut down a dead tree.
The dead tree reminds me of bad habits, negativity, or bitterness in my life. Just like the tree, the "ick" in my life is generally harmless as well as unnoticeable to everyone except me. Just as I had ignored the dead trees on our yard over the winter (because all the trees looked alike), most people ignore the "ick" because quite frankly, they are more consumed with the minutiae of their own worlds to worry about someone else.
Even so, those "dead trees" in my life inhibit positive growth, enthusiasm, and helpful spiritual habits. Getting rid of those "dead trees" allows me to plant new thoughts, fertilize them with prayer, and grow them into what God has intended them to be.
Just as an untended, dead tree progressively becomes more of a hazard, those bad habits, negative attitudes, and bitter beliefs eventually start to poison my relationships with other people, destroying them and even preventing someone else's growth.
When a dead tree is felled, ecologists will tell you that it still serves a purpose. The suggestion is to leave it, let it rot, and let it become a renewable resource for plant life and animals alike. The same is true of the dead trees in our lives. Even when felled, they serve a purpose for us. While they no longer negatively impede our growth, they serve as a reminder of where we have been and what we have learned. They are resources for future decision-making and character development.
A dead tree requires more effort to extract than pulling a weed. It involves sweat, time, and physical exertion. The same is true of the dead trees in our lives. When a person decides to tackle a dead tree, it is no easy task. However, just as the landscape changes, growth occurs, and beauty of the yard is restored when the dead trees are removed, the same is true of our lives.
"Surely its life withers away, and from the soil other plants grow." Job 8:19
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