Rerun of Daily Devotional May 18, 2020
Prior to purchasing our land, it had received very little attention or maintenance. This meant clearing mesquite trees, repairing terraces, fixing fence, and killing poison ivy. It took a great deal of time and effort. I’m still not done.
One of the many maintenance tasks I haven’t finished is clearing hackberry trees off the fence lines. The problem is their huge size.
At maturity, a hackberry tree can be 50 feet wide and 70 feet tall. It is called a trash tree because it continually drops limbs and the trunk rots from the inside out. This causes it to split. Whenever a split happens, the tree always (because it’s me) falls on the fence, which means Shannon and I have to make repairs before our cows decide to tour the county.
A few days ago, a storm rolled through our area bringing much needed rain and high winds. In checking our fence lines, I saw that one of our biggest hackberry trees had blown over. It was time to get to work.
With a chainsaw and tractor, Shannon and I were able to remove the huge tree, save the fence, and prevent the cows from doing a walkabout (Australian term for a spontaneous journey in the wilderness). It took an entire day, which was not what I had planned.
Sometimes life works like that. You know exactly what you are going to do for the day and then a hackberry tree falls on a fence. All this proves is that we are not as in charge of our lives as we think we are. The unexpected always seems to happen at the most inconvenient moment.
The answer to our ever-changing world is to live in the moment and not be dismayed when life gets in the way of our plans.
Today, you may not have to deal with a fallen hackberry tree, but something will happen that you didn’t expect. Don’t get upset, confused, or overwhelmed. Simply ask God to help you deal with whatever is in front of you and move on.
That’s exactly what Paul meant by saying, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”(Philippians 4:13)
No matter what hackberry tree you face, with God’s help you can deal with it. That’s what truly matters.
Prayer: Dear Gracious Heavenly God, help me deal with the continual challenges and changes I face. Give me wisdom, patience, strength, and grace. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
The moment you feel like you are in complete control is the moment you are in real trouble. So take one day at a time, deal with the issues at hand, and depend on God to see you through. That’s the recipe for a successful life.
I pray you day is filled with joy and laughter.
Tom Robbins
Daily Devotionals by Dr. Tom Robbins 