THE NEW EWE

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'"

Luke 15:4-6

July 19, 2023

LIFE IN THE FOLD

A few weeks ago my sisters and I got together at the property in Missouri where we grew up. There is a house at the end of the dirt road, that leads to our home-place, that was in our family for decades, before it sold a while back. While my sisters and I were there, the new owners had hired a tree service to come and cut down several trees on the property. I'm not sure their reasoning behind which trees they chose to have removed; but perhaps it was because some of those trees were dying. Or perhaps they just didn't like having so many trees in their yard.

This past weekend, Jon and I went to the property in Missouri. The Friday night before we went, there was a bad storm with straight winds there. Some lost electricity for a while. It seems as if some mostly lost some tree limbs, a cousin had their TV antenna snap, lots of debris in the yards; but it doesn't seem as if anyone suffered any big damage to their homes or vehicles.

When Jon and I arrived and turned onto the dirt road that leads to our property, we passed by the house that had just recently had the tree removals done. They had left a tree right in front of the house, and one of the biggest limbs had broken off during the storm on Friday. Thankfully, it broke off away from the house, so didn't hit the roof. It wasn't a huge tree, so with that large branch broken, I'm sure that the entire tree will end up having to be removed. I'm sure, in hindsight, the new owners are wishing that they had of had it removed when they had the tree service there taking out some of the other trees.

I have a cousin whose property abuts to our family property. When we drove by his place, we saw that there were two trees side by side, that had both snapped in half during the storm. It was odd, because the trunks of both trees broke at almost the same height. Again, they weren't close to his house, so no damage was done.

Thankfully, there were no downed trees or damage on our family property. There were several smaller limbs scattered all over the yard, but nothing major.

There are many times when trees look healthy, have green leaves on them, and seem to be strong from their appearance on the outside. They may be aged and mature, but they seem to be deeply rooted and outwardly look fine to the casual observer. They still bear green leaves in the summer and seem to be doing well. But when they are buffeted by a strong straight wind, they crack and break. Sometimes it may only be branches that break off; but other times the entire tree trunk will break in half.

Other times I've seen where entire trees are uprooted by severe wind storms. From what I've read, this is more likely to occur when the soil is saturated with water, therefore, the tree's roots are unable to securely anchor themselves. Often it happens to trees that have a compromised root system. Most healthy trees can withstand brief periods of high winds and heavy rains.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, "Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit."

David writes in Psalms chapter one: "Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do."

Spiritually we need to be rooted and grounded in the Lord. If not, then when storms come, we will find ourselves broken or uprooted and damaged. We will all go through difficulties in life, encounter trials and temptations, and face struggles. We can look good to the world on the outside by doing all the "churchy" things: we attend church, are kind to others, are good people, etc. But when those times occur, they will see what is really in our heart. Actually, we will see if we are truly rooted in Christ or if we only have a surface relationship.

In Mark 4:3-8, Jesus taught this parable to a crowd of people. "Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn't have deep roots, it died. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as they had planted."

None of us want to spiritually die or be uprooted. We don't want to allow Satan to come and peck away at us, causing us to be separated from Christ. We can't just accept Jesus into our life, then expect to grow as a believer without it taking some effort on our part. It is true that Jesus paid the ultimate price for our salvation; but once we receive Christ, we must do all that we can to become deeply rooted in our faith and grow in our relationship with Him. We do that through fellowshipping with other believers, reading the Word of God, prayer, listening to sermons and teachings, etc.

Paul writes in Ephesians 3:17, "Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong."

In Colossians 2:7, Paul encourages the church by writing, "Let your roots grow deep into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness."

How is your spiritual root system? Are you feeling spiritually dried up and dead inside, where the storms of life would be able to break you and cause damage, should they hit? Are you feeling as if your root system is shallow and there is no growth in your faith? Perhaps you are feeling strong overall, but there are "branches" that are weak; things that you have allowed into your life that need to be broken off, because sooner or later they will cause harm to you spiritually, should you allow them to stay in your life.

Allow Jesus to come and prune away all those things that may need to be pruned. Then drink from that life giving water, that is Jesus, so that your roots system can become established and strong. As Paul wrote, let your roots grow deep into Jesus and let your lives be built on Him. Why? So that your faith will grow strong!

JON'S PERSPECTIVE:

Many years ago, I grew carrots. But I grew them in very good soil with more than enough water. The tops looked great and full. The next time I cooked a pot roast, I dug up a carrot to use. I remember some toys from the 90s about the size of a softball, but shaped like grotesquely mutated heads. That is what my carrots reminded me of. They had all the nutrients and water they needed just an inch below the surface, so they didn't grow any deeper than that. Each bunch grew together into one horrific mutant carrot. They tasted good, even if they looked awful.

Many kinds of trees are similar. If they get everything they need from the surface, they don't have any reason to grow deep roots. That leaves them vulnerable to even a light wind.

People are like that. If our faith and faithfulness are never stressed, they won't grow strong. So when you go through difficult times, work on your roots and keep remembering it will prepare you for future.

For several of the trees we saw broken over, their roots were fine. Their trunks snapped.

But something I noticed about each tree that was broken was they stood alone or only two of them together and no other trees very close.

There were several trees that were alone or in pairs that survived. We are thankful about the two that could have crushed the family home. But where there were many trees together, they tended to survive much better. Each one helped to block part of the wind.

People are like that, too. We are strongest when we grow together. Two are stronger than one, but three or more are even better. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, "Though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him--a threefold cord is not quickly broken." And no, Loretta, I'm not suggesting any change in our marriage. Being part of a church family and growing together is important. We need more than simply growing on our own, or just attending without any growth. And we need a church family that are also growing. After all, even a dozen vines don't help block the wind for a tree.

ON THE MENEWE:

Pimento Cheese

Shred Cheddar cheeses with the size grater you prefer (midsize grater is preferred).

Simply mix the grated cheese mixture in with the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Be careful not to mush the cheese into a lump; toss it as much as you stir it.

Always chill overnight before you serve it!

Serve with snack crackers. This can also be used for sandwiches.

**Note: I don't always use that many pimentos and roasted red bell peppers. I just add what looks/tastes right to me.

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER:

When my (now) 15 year old niece was age 7, I was babysitting her for the evening. She wanted us to color -- which ended up me coloring and her playing with a sticker book. She looked over and said, "Wow, Aunt Bee-retta! You color so good! You stay in the lines and everything!!" It's always good to know that my coloring skills can impress a kid!

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire? - Corrie ten Boom

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU:

We love you!

Loretta & Jon

http://www.graysheep.org