News from the front porch

All around town, the blooms on the cherry trees from this warm streak in winter look like early pink Valentines to us from God. Looking for premature blossoms in the woods on our acreage has yielded no flowers yet but, instead, revealed something that has caused my husband and I to spend many hours in combat.

We are fighting against something sinister. Something that threatens the life of mostly young, but also mature trees - trees that grow tall and strong, providing both protection as wind barriers and continuous daily releases of freshly-made oxygen into the air. We appreciate the life-sustaining benefits that abound from our trees in addition to their ability to clean the air of toxins and carbon dioxide.

The menaces to our woods are more visible in winter. They start out looking innocuous and green, harmless little things that spark a little bright flower or two. They then begin to grow straight up, grabbing the tree. Then slowly wrap themselves tightly around it, flattening the limbs of the tree against the trunk as they go. Other bad vines hitchhike on the first parasite, wrapping around each other to form strong cords that disable the tree, use it as a climbing post and then shoot out the top with their deceptive show of leaves.

We found many promising cherry trees and young oaks completely bound and pulled to the ground while the bad thorny vines climbed all over them producing an arbor-like tomb overarching the life-giving tree. My husband and I have spent many hours over the last few weeks clipping these invading impostors at the root.

The spiritual picture is clear of how innocent-looking pursuits and desires can soon bind up a Christian, sucking the life out of their faith and making their calling and ministry ineffective. Soon, their faith can become so choked and obscured that they no longer add enhancing flavor or light up their individual areas of influence. "Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. The seed that fell among thorns represents (those) who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced." Mark 4: 7, 18,19 NLT

Dianne Brady is an author and speaker and can be reached at gracekeeper 97@yahoo.com.