My head is full after another crammed day. Not enough hours, too many things going at the same time, things left undone......
I wrote previously that I was Not a PC! yet, perhaps I am one, more than I think.
I operate a little like an underpowered PC at times. I have 'too many windows open' and this causes my 'screen to freeze'. My 'task manager' pops up to warn me and I need to reset my thinking.
What is my Ctrl Alt del in real life?
Is it a coffee break? (fat chance!)
Is it lunch? (even fatter)
Do I endure until I get home and 'Crash' in front of the TV?
Do I open the fridge and gaze within, looking for relief?
The bible calls these 'broken cisterns' (we go looking for water in broken wells).
Lamentations 3:40 Let us test and examine our ways and return to the Lord.
Often, our waking hours are a struggle to switch off. Even when we hit the off button, sleep will not come. I am grateful for God unplugging me at the wall and that usually, I sleep soundly. Long, long before man made computers and we struggled to overcome them locking up by switching off and on again, God made it part of our system.
We need to be switched off and switched back on again - Isn't that what sleep is? Hopefully, by morning I will have been rebooted with a whole new shot at the day.
Thank God for it.
Lamentations 3:22,23. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
Wednesday 12 December 2012
Tuesday 11 December 2012
Trees of life
It seems ages since I last posted a blog. I love to write and I have poorly neglected it of late.
It was my son's 13th Birthday this weekend and we spent some time in the woods. The woods are a great place to go and listen. Sometimes illustrations come blindingly obvious to me and this weekend was one of those days.
Trees are planted in pots then planted out - often in rows in woodlands or forestry. I have planted hundreds and hundreds of trees in woodland. It is a most rewarding activity, knowing that you are planting for future generations.
When the trees are planted out they are generally staked and corrolex tubes placed around them. this protects them from pests like rabbits, dear or squirrels from chewing them. The stake is placed alongside to encourage straight growth and to support the tree whilst it throws down its roots.
In time, it naturally breaks out of the protective tubing, which lays discarded. however, the stake and tie are a very different matter. At some point there comes a time when the tie must be loosened and eventually, the stake lifted and removed. If he stake is removed too late and the ties not loosened, it will damage the bark of the tree and cause harm. If it is removed too early, the tree may not have roots deep and strong enough to stand under the pressure of the elements. Of course, there are trees that never were staked. Some grow strong, some grow wild, some fail - It's a big risk. How many garden centres have un-staked trees for sale? They know the value of staking!
This has such a powerful parallel with parents and children. We try to get it right but at times parents can be too lax and allow too much too early and we see the damage caused as youngsters gain their independence far too early without strong loving boundaries. We see week roots and damaged trees. Yet, the same can be true of over restrictive parents. We often struggle to see the growing our children have done without our noticing and get stuck in treating them 3 years younger than they deserve. This can also be damaging and our support turns into a tourniquet which stifles the life from our children.
This, perhaps, is why such hurt and pain is experienced during adolescence between children and parents. The youngster wants to sway in the wind and the parent simply tightens the tie when it ought to be loosened. It's a mine-field. So how do we do our best to avoid such tightness or dangerous freedom. We watch, we talk, we listen, we trust, we pray. Trees must be tended and if neglected, will suffer.
Lord help uncaring lax parenting which leaves the youngster at the mercy of the four winds without support or guidance. Help parenting which seeks to demand obedience, restrict, constrict and stifle with control being the goal, rather than allowing the necessary growth to happen and the movement to strengthen the roots.
Dear parent (myself included), pay close attention like the best woodsman and tend your young plants, saplings and trees.
Proverbs 22:6. Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.
It was my son's 13th Birthday this weekend and we spent some time in the woods. The woods are a great place to go and listen. Sometimes illustrations come blindingly obvious to me and this weekend was one of those days.
Trees are planted in pots then planted out - often in rows in woodlands or forestry. I have planted hundreds and hundreds of trees in woodland. It is a most rewarding activity, knowing that you are planting for future generations.
When the trees are planted out they are generally staked and corrolex tubes placed around them. this protects them from pests like rabbits, dear or squirrels from chewing them. The stake is placed alongside to encourage straight growth and to support the tree whilst it throws down its roots.
In time, it naturally breaks out of the protective tubing, which lays discarded. however, the stake and tie are a very different matter. At some point there comes a time when the tie must be loosened and eventually, the stake lifted and removed. If he stake is removed too late and the ties not loosened, it will damage the bark of the tree and cause harm. If it is removed too early, the tree may not have roots deep and strong enough to stand under the pressure of the elements. Of course, there are trees that never were staked. Some grow strong, some grow wild, some fail - It's a big risk. How many garden centres have un-staked trees for sale? They know the value of staking!
This has such a powerful parallel with parents and children. We try to get it right but at times parents can be too lax and allow too much too early and we see the damage caused as youngsters gain their independence far too early without strong loving boundaries. We see week roots and damaged trees. Yet, the same can be true of over restrictive parents. We often struggle to see the growing our children have done without our noticing and get stuck in treating them 3 years younger than they deserve. This can also be damaging and our support turns into a tourniquet which stifles the life from our children.
This, perhaps, is why such hurt and pain is experienced during adolescence between children and parents. The youngster wants to sway in the wind and the parent simply tightens the tie when it ought to be loosened. It's a mine-field. So how do we do our best to avoid such tightness or dangerous freedom. We watch, we talk, we listen, we trust, we pray. Trees must be tended and if neglected, will suffer.
Lord help uncaring lax parenting which leaves the youngster at the mercy of the four winds without support or guidance. Help parenting which seeks to demand obedience, restrict, constrict and stifle with control being the goal, rather than allowing the necessary growth to happen and the movement to strengthen the roots.
Dear parent (myself included), pay close attention like the best woodsman and tend your young plants, saplings and trees.
Proverbs 22:6. Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
