I stared at them!
The serenity and beauty of the water was disturbed and marred.
When we moved to our land, we were happy that there was a little pond near where our home would be.
As far as folks knew, no one had ever lived on the acreage. Maybe the oval pond with tall trees around it was a watering place for animals. I was charmed.
Looking out our windows I could see the water ripple, the rain pebble the surface, ice skim the surface, and the reflections of the different trees around it. As we added geese and ducks to our place we enjoyed watching them swim, dive for little fish, and sleep on the pond edges.
But as time passed, some of the trees aged and during the regular wind, rain, times of drought, and storms, limbs broke off.
Falling in the pond with all the debris and broken limbs, some of the tree branches were quite large. Now the pond looked unkempt and uncared for—-the surface broken by protruding limbs and jagged branches. It looked rough.
The calm surface, or widening ripples, and reflections were broken up and the images were distorted.
Just pull the branches and limbs out, you might say. Right. Easier said than done. Some of the lower branch limbs were now mired by their weight in the soft pond bottom. Some limbs had hidden length and bulk under the water—-unseen.
Gary started work on getting the dead limbs out of the pond. He thought some of them might not be so heavy, tied a rope to the closest part of the branch, and began to pull it out to see just how hard it would be. Not possible.
He attached the rope from the tree to the riding lawn mower. He spun out. Not possible.
He got his tractor out and hooked it up to the rope, which promptly stretched out and broke. He got his chain out. Now he needed to wade out into the water, grapple with the limbs, hook the chain to it, and then when it was securely attached to the tractor, use it’s power to drag out the reluctant debris.
Reflecting on my spiritual life, I see that I have debris in my life, soul, heart, mind—-however you want to say it. Sin. The results of sin—-estrangement, pain, sorrow, anger, hurt, depression, loneliness can all be caused by unrepentant sin and or not forgiving others and ourselves. Sin hurts. It can sink in deep and be hard to get rid of.
Examine your spiritual life, and ask God to show you what you need to confess, who you need to forgive, and ask Him to forgive you as you repent.
Now with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can hook up sin and its harmful results and let God pull it out making us a clear and beautiful reflection of His love and salvation.
“Therefore, since we have here promises, dear friends let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
2 Corinthians 7:1.
