The tree was growing straight, pointing to the sky. Then it came upon an obstacle that forced alteration in its growth. Or the tree was impacted by something that pressed upon it, so much so, that it had to bend out of shape in order to maintain its upward path. This tree has always impressed me ever since I first observed it when I was a child. It is still doing the job of holding back the rock from rolling down the hill.

I do not know which came first, the tree standing tall and the rock tumbling down the hillside till it met the tree or the rock precariously perched on the hillside with a tree growing in its shadow till it found the upward path impeded by the rock, then continuing its growth around the obstacle. The growth of the tree has been slow. I remember seeing it in the 1960’s wondering if it would break and the rock would roll into the highway further down the hillside. Last month, I saw that the tree is still carrying the burden of holding the rock.

In life, some people carry burdens that others do not know. We all have trials but some of us have thorns that will never leave, always there, always being seen, always bring pain with varying intensities, sometimes festering into grievous wounds. Trials shape us as we go through them. Thorns focus on our weaknesses, often bringing discouragement and despair. It is in these moments when things look darkest, that we must turn to the Lord. He gives strength and ability to cope moment by moment. His power is made known in weakness.

Our lives are sharpened by the trials of life. How we deal with them will be the evidence of our character. Do we depend upon the Lord to give enablement even when pressed upon by a rock that will never go away? Or do we see God’s mighty power and strength as we continue to grow through the trial or while we carry the thorns which will never leave?

This tree has been an encouragement to me. I want to keep growing even though the trials of life may bend me out of shape. I want to stand tall with my God through whatever comes.

The Lord is our strength, our refuge. Pour out your heart before Him. The Psalmist said that He trusted in the Lord and he was helped. God is a very present help in the time of trouble. God is our strength when the rocks press us out of shape. He gives the motivation and ability to grow upward even when deeply impacted by the storms of life.

It is a challenge that many are not willing to try. When I was the recreation director for a camp in the Black Hills, one challenge I gave the teens was to run to the top of a hill, about 50 yards of a steep incline. They would take up the challenge and see who could do it the fastest.

Then, pastoring in another state, I became the recreation director at a new camp. I tried a similar challenge with the teens. They would not take up the test of skill and strength. “Why would I want to do that?” was the response of one. They were not willing to try. It burst my bubble of thinking that people liked a challenge.

As a young man, I liked hiking in areas others would hesitate going because it was too steep or rough. That was precisely the reason I wanted to go there. It was not crowded, by that I mean, I would never see anyone in the area. If I did, then it was too crowded. You can be isolated like that in Wyoming. One area I could experience this was climbing the side of Rattlesnake Mountain from the canyon. It is steep, very steep, but up above, there are nice areas and a hidden spring.

I found an old camp site from probably around 1900 near the spring. Investigating the site, I found an old bucket, wire, some old cans, and miscellaneous items strewn around the area. As far as I know, they are still there, battling the elements, rust covered and slowly deteriorating. As I climbed further up and out to a point, I had a view of the South Fork and North Fork of the Shoshone River. I could see all of the Buffalo Bill Reservoir and even much of Cody through the window of the canyon. It was worth the climb. I have never seen anyone in that area no matter how many times I climbed the mountain. Yes, it was worth taking the challenge.

In life, we face many challenges, trials, and tests. It is hard work getting projects done, climbing mountains, going through hardships and difficult issues. While proceeding, don’t miss the opportunities to see and learn about our God, life, and relationships. Others will never experience life the way you will. Challenges are unique opportunities God gives to broaden our views, strengthen our faith and character, test our motivation, and to build our lives.

Some Christians like to insulate themselves from difficulty and challenge. They want everything to work smoothly in their life. They don’t try things that may cause them discomfort or stress. For whatever reason, they shy away from the challenge. “Why would I want to do that?” A good reason could be; it is God’s will for you to do or go through it. If it is, you will see and learn things that you will miss if you don’t accept the challenge. What challenges are you facing? Go through them and see the working of God in you and through you.

This is a place where many adventures took place during my childhood. After I overcame my fear, I greatly enjoyed our horses. Jeneen and I were able to see the corrals this week. The pond in the background also holds memories. There were fish, ducks, and willows for fort building. Trying to raise the water level by throwing rocks in the creek leaving the pond gave hours of fun. Pitching hay into the trough to feed the horses, trying to catch them when they didn’t want to be caught, once apprehended, enjoying the bareback ride up the hill to the corral with just a belt around the neck of the animal, and then saddling up for rides around the area.

To look at the place now, no one would know all the events that took place there. It is a forgotten scene. As we travel the west, we see many such structures; buildings, abandoned cabins, barns, and corrals. These places were the homes, dreams of people, some recent but others, many years ago. There were battles with the elements, struggles with animals, and troubles with each other. There were times of joy and pain. Plans were made and carried out. Times have passed and people moved away or entered eternity. Others took their place, not having the same desires or dreams, abandoning the structures and life built before they arrived, carrying out their own plans and hopes.

We have one life to live on this earth. What will last? Too often we focus on the temporal, thinking it is the most important. Learn from history, learn from observation, and see the dilapidated structures of forgotten lives. We work hard and rightly so. We labor and we can enjoy the fruits of that labor. Ecclesiastes teaches that this is the gift of God to us. But that which matters most in this life is that which is done for eternity. Daily labor with plans and dreams for life on the earth is good and the walk with God, seeking Him, and knowing Him, to be with Him forever is eternally valuable.

“So shall we ever be with the Lord.”

In Psalm 101, David makes decisions about his life and reign as king of Israel. It is a good study on practical Christian living. He did not always follow the principles he spells out in the Psalm but they became foundational in his life. I can identify with David in his desires.

Recently I was asked a question that has caused me to reflect on my life. To paraphrase the question, “What have you found to be the most influential decisions you made as young person that helped you to become who you are today?” I have given much thought to the question, finally coming to an answer.

The first decision was that I wanted to follow the Lord, no matter if anyone else did. This kept me away from the influences of negative peer pressure, making me an independent thinker. Like David, I wanted to live the life God had for me and to walk with Him. Some of my friends were not. So that brought me to the next decision in my life. I want to be around people who are following the Lord. This decision became very influential.

Not everyone in the youth group wanted to walk with God. Within the church family were people who desired to live a life pleasing to the Lord and those who were just there. I found myself gravitating toward those serious about walking with the Lord. Church became a home, a place to be with others who loved the Lord, who wanted to grow and walk with Him. Not only did we meet together on Sunday but we became involved in each other’s lives throughout the week. They helped to focus me on the Lord, pointing me to Him.

So if I were to give advice to young people, I would tell them to walk with the Lord whether anyone else goes with you on the journey. God will sustain you. As they travel the path, they will find many others who love the Lord and are walking with Him. Get close to those people. No matter what happens in life, walk with the Lord.

How does a person take words spoken and written by millions of people and make them their own? The ability to communicate passion and emotion is worthy of thought and study. Words come from one person entering other’s lives. Meaning conveyed, emotion felt, ideas shared, all stemming from the ability to communicate. It is a wonder that one person can share their life with another; verbally, by talking or writing, drawing pictures, making music, using gestures, or facial expressions.

God gave us the ability to communicate with one another. He shows us how as He talks to us through His Word, through the Spirit, through the sights and sounds of creation, words and music for the soul. Many do not hear His voice because they are not listening. They do not see His beauty, feel His touch, or sense His emotion.

I am overwhelmed by the magnitude of it all, of time and eternity, of all God created and will create, of the complexity of one simple life. Yet, He loves and intimately knows – “ME” – and YOU. I can tell you what He means to me, what He has done in my life. All because, He has given us the ability to make words our own.

“Does anyone really listen to me?” “Am I making any kind of a real impact for the cause of Christ or am I just fooling myself?” “Maybe someone else would be more affective.” Others have shared these thoughts and I have entertained them at various times. Anyone in ministry, whether as a vocation or volunteer, wonders the usefulness of what they do. Some would say that this is not very spiritual. “If you are spiritual, it wouldn’t matter to you.” Let’s get past the platitudes and get to real life. We want to the best we can for the Lord and make the biggest impact we can for the cause of Christ. This causes us to evaluate what we do and our labor’s effectiveness.

Jeneen and I started in ministry as a vocation thirty five years ago. Much has transpired during those thirty five years. Would I do some things different if I could go back and start again? Absolutely! But we do not have a “do over.” Somehow, some way, God has worked in and through us over those years. Many times it would seem He worked in spite of us. Do I wish more would have happened; that we had a greater impact, more results, and wonderful fruit evidenced by everyone? Of course! But all we could do is be us. I have this treasure from God in an earthly vessel. I have thorns in the flesh. My weaknesses are for God’s strength and glory to be seen.

Pastoring a small church is not easy. Pastoring a large church is not easy. Let’s face it, ministry is not easy. It is a labor of love for the Lord, for His Word, for His people and for the lost. The results are in God’s hands. As I have said for years, “God is working in us and through us for His purposes and glory.” This conclusion has come after struggling with effectiveness in ministry.

We cannot look to the results to determine our impact. God is working in us and through us as we walk with Him. We cannot be anything more than who God has created us to be and do anything more than He empowers us to do. But we should be the godliest people we can be, letting God have His perfect way in our lives.

So, if you are pastoring a small church, be the godly pastor He wants you to be. The people God gives you to shepherd need someone to minister and love them. God has given them you. If you are pastoring a large church, be the godly pastor He wants you to be. Results are in His hands. He will work in you and through you to do His will as you walk surrendered to Him. You cannot be someone else. You cannot make it happen. God gives the increase in His time and His way. We are called to be faithful no matter where He places us or what position we hold. As we are faithful we can have confidence that God is bringing about His results in and through us according to His plan and for His glory.

May God freely work in you and through you and you walk with Him. May we be content with His will and His results for our lives while striving to be all He would want us to be.