If someone were to use your life as a platform from which to teach or preach, would you be able to hold up his or her weight, or would you collapse like an ant-infested tree stump?
Several years ago, before the opening session of our annual men’s retreat, I went for a walk in the woods to pray, and I spied what looked like the perfect platform to stand on. It was a huge stump from a massive tree that had been cut down close to the ground, and it looked like an ideal spot to stand, think, and pray.
Unfortunately, as I leaped on top of it, my feet sank several inches into a mushy, ant-infested mess. The massive tree trunk had been devoured from the inside, and despite its impressive appearance, it was a hollow shell that collapsed under the slightest pressure.
After I cleaned off the dust and debris, the experience struck me like a parable and caused me to ask some tough questions:
- Am I living a hollowed-out life, or is there enough substance in me to support the work that God is trying to do in and through me?
- Do I have any hidden areas that need to be exposed and confessed to a safe, appropriate person?
- Are there any wrongs in my past that I have yet to make right?
- Are any wood-eating ants chomping on my character from the inside out?
I think these are good questions, and I think times of quarantine and isolation are the perfect times to ask them. As we move through this moment and into a new season on the other side, let’s do what it takes to build lives that are solid all the way to our core.
Great reminder to, during this time, evaluate our lives! Thanks. KLU !
These are great Chris. I receive them later in the day here in MN, so they make a great start to my day during the early quiet time tomorrow morning when I really think more deeply on the subjects. Thank you.
Thank you Pastor for this wisdom.