I was able to spend about twenty minutes in the woods today. Donna took Knox for a walk in the nature area on the outskirts of town. As she walked her rodent sniffing Terrier I sat in the truck and watched and listened. There were a few tracks left by the deer and rabbits. Sitting in the truck I was able to take in and appreciate all of the differences I saw in form and texture. The area is filled with old growth trees, each one unique in its own way. With dim light I would only be able to tell you that I was parked in the midst of a grove of trees, guessing at what type they might be. In the clear sunlight I could identify each tree by looking at the bark and form of the tree. I was surrounded by Oak, Ash, Beech Nut, Maple and Walnut, some reaching close to a hundred feet into the sky.
Light brings us to true identity. I can reach my true identity as I walk in fellowship with God. It is His illumination that brings clarity to my life and vision. Without that
illumination I have mere existence, I live and move and make decisions without clarity of thought or vision. As I live in the power of illumination I grow and change. I understand my place in the world and in the divine order placed upon it. As I desire to continue walking in His light I can rest assured that I will be given more light and so, more illumination in my life. Ultimately, walking on this earth in His light will lead me to my final light experience, His presence.
Since my few minutes in the woods I have come to look at community in a new light. Community is vital for the church to survive. With growing community will come growing life and the life will multiply. I need to look at members in my
faith community with the clarity in which I could distinguish every tree in the grove. Because I have dealt with community life for such a long time it has become to easy for me to look at the trees and see what needs to be pruned away, or what is disfigured. Some trees I'm easily drawn to their beauty or majesty. As a woodworker my eyes are easily drawn to a vision of logs, boards, knots and the absolute beauty of oiled Oak or Beech Wood.
My desire needs to be, that I would understand the beauty in my community and how God has placed us together in relationship to each other and Him. Jesus told us that the world would recognize us as His disciples by the way in which we loved each other. So, I guess for me, I need to look at a few trees in my community a bit differently. There are a couple of trees that seemed to be stuck in the swamp, of their own muck and dirt. If I get close to those trees I'm sure I will see the beauty and their place in my community.
Tedd Galloway is the Pastor of West Adrian Community Church, and the author of, A Mother's Heart Moved the Hand of God. His email address is tedd@teddgalloway.com Feel free to comment or send questions or prayer requests.
