Writings By Phil

Sanford, Florida May 23, 2020

I won! Or did I? I won’t know until tomorrow morning!

My wife, Jackie, thinks I’m stiff-necked much of the time and she is probably right, but for real, I’ve been suffering with neck pain for about two months. At least, now, my head feels like it will stay on my shoulders, but twisting it to the extremes of normal movement makes my neck feel like its being “broken” on a medevil rack! In the past, my neck caused me worse agony, but being the whimp I am, even my present pain hurts! I am hoping today’s activities did not set healing back too much.

In trying to make better drainage at our back door, I cut down two volunteer trees and the stump of a third tree that I’ve cut down at least two times in the past. The last time I tried to get rid of it, I removed all the bark, girding the tree right at ground level and up about four inches. Somehow, the bark grew back and the stump was again burgeoning! Today, I determined the battle with this particular tree was over. One of us would be dead before night fall. You give these volunteer trees an inch, and they will take a yard!

It was a jungle day, today! Hot, humid, with no breeze, reminiscent of long ago days in Central Bolivia when heat stroke pounded on my door most every day. Sweat was running rivers down my brow and dripping from my nose. Tell me again why people want to live in Florida??

To finish the task at hand I had to go inside a couple times and sit under the fan until the sweating subsided, then it was back to the war! After much chopping, it was with great satisfaction that I heard the last of it’s smaller roots cracking as I pushed it over with my foot. A couple more chops with the ax and I had won!

Had I gone after these trees when they first sprouted, I could have pulled them up with my fingers. Being faithful years ago would have spared me hours today, sweating, getting blisters and wishing I was back home in Montana!

Today’s experience reminds me of life. Often we allow little things to take root in our hearts and minds. Resentment, bitterness, unhealthy habits, and sinful desires, all find fertile ground in us humans to grow and thrive. Often we Christians justify , and even enjoy these sins, not caring that their roots are growing deep, wrapping around our soul’s neck, strangling our spiritual life.

We need help! That’s why Jesus came. As Martin Luther once said, “He is our righteousness, we are His sin!” Our own toil and effort cannot pull these things up by the roots. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be our helper when His earthly ministry was over and He returned to His Father. We need to submit to the Spirit’s fingers, pulling these things from our lives and replacing them with the seed of love, joy and peace. . .

Thankfully, as we submit to Him, God can remove these sins, be they big or little, from our lives. I am thankful, too, that as I confess my sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive me and cleanse me from all unrighteous.

“How deep the Father’s love for us, How vast beyond all measure, That He should give His only Son To make a wretch His treasure.” Stuart Townend

End