Life | Love | Freedom

Broken panes of life

A tree line of large oaks divides the rear of our property from another neighborhood we call the 'ports', because all the street names begin that way. Sitting in my favorite chair the den windows frame them as a living masterpiece. A mass of interconnectedness, life flows, crawls and flies in and through the many limbs and vines. Most of the year the foliage forms a visual barrier to the aformentioned neighborhood. The bareness of winter affords a less than perfect view beyond, similar to that of a broken pane. It is through these broken panes of life I noticed the electrical tower standing a hundred yards or so beyond...in the 'ports'.

Man built that tower in days, three or less probably...and replicated it many times as means of carrying power to others. There are millions of these towers or ones so similar it takes careful observation to tell them apart. They're half again as tall as the trees growing for 30 years or more. I was struggling with 'time running out' for whatever the spirit has for my life. Like God needed me to hurry it along before it was too late. Seeing those trees full of life compared to the cold vacant steel of the tower I realized growth and maturity in the kingdom of God takes years, decades and that's ok. Being ok with God's timetable is important, it helps me relax, pay attention and enjoy the journey...some call it becoming consciously aware of the presence of God.

The uniqueness and interconnected maze of the trees seemed half-hazard and anti-productive compared to uniform towers connected through uniform cable attached and hung similarly time and time again. Running after a pattern or mimicking another in pursuit of growth or cause is a struggle for me. It's easy and provides identifiable progression to compare ourselves with others as means of judging how much we're ahead or behind. The trees are teaching me, our uniqueness is beyond comparison and the route and design of our journey in the kingdom may seem unorganized, non-purposeful and unproductive but true life attracts other life and becomes a living canvas inundated with other unique expressions of the father. A "Godiangelo" in comparison to the childlike stick drawings of a tower with a few black birds sitting atop all lined up in a row.

I understand why man builds those towers in triangle fashion wide at the bottom and founded in concrete. The wide firm base supports a taller albeit continuously narrowing tower. Why is it most trees are just the opposite? Fastened in dirt, narrow at the bottom and growing wide in its height? I dunno...but Jesus' words about the vine and branch seem relevant.

posted by Rick @ 5:54 AM