lessons from a raspberry bush

Finally a beautiful spring day, and I joyfully grabbed work clothes, pruning shears, and gardening gloves. 

Every few years the oldest raspberry shoots die and have to be cut out.  It’s not difficult to tell the old ones from the new.  The old are dry and brittle, dark and dying in color.  The outside is rough and peeling off.  The new shoots are smooth, green, pliable, and straight. 

Looking at these bushes I see myself. 

Inside my soul are two different people standing right next to each other.  The old selfishness up close to the new servanthood.  The old bitterness just an inch away from the new grace.  The old stiffness and unwillingness to obey standing side-by-side with the new, soft heart that wants to bend to God’s will.

My friend talked about her raspberries.  The bushes didn’t put out any fruit last year.  We don’t know what’s wrong with them. 

So I mentioned pruning, and she didn’t know it was necessary.  I told her that old stuff has to be cut out for the bushes to produce well. 

Jesus says, “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.”  (Matthew 5:30 NIV)

Today my back hurts. It’s hard work cutting away those dead shoots. Some of them are really thick, and my hand and forearm ache from working the shears. My legs hurt from squatting near the ground for so long. 

Hard work.

You don’t get a freezer full of fruit if you’re not willing to take a sharp edge to the old, dead stuff.  

What old thoughts and habits need to be cut and tossed out from your life?

do you ever feel like you're not a good person?

A few days ago I felt not good.  Said something in the heat of the moment that was stupid.

Sigh. 

My question to God was, “Okay, I’ve said I’m sorry to the person, and I’ve said I’m sorry to you, but now what do I do with this hangover feeling of worthlessness and thoughts of I’m-just-a-horrible-no-good-bad-person?” 

And I wondered –does anyone else ever feel this low after messing up? 

Then, just as I was drifting off to sleep in my feeling-lousy state, I remembered Jesus’ words to the rich man.   

“Why do you call me good?  No one is good –except God alone.”  (Mark 10:18) 

Oh, that’s right.   

It’s comforting to be in a big club.

atmosphere control

Every Monday at 5:30 I walk into a meeting, and everyone is Monday frazzled.  You can feel it when you walk in.  Saggy bodies.  Half-smile hellos.   

Several weeks ago our fearless leader instituted a mandatory group cheer to begin each meeting.  It’s ridiculous.  Hands on top of hands.  We choose a few motivational words to cheer as hands gone down and then up again.  He forces energy, excitement, and laughter on a weary group of people. 

This is the coolest thought ever, and I’m stealing it from Michael Hyatt’s blog (chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishing).  Have you ever thought of the influence you have over the atmosphere of a room? 

Changing the atmosphere is like casting vision, only it is immediate. When there is tension, fear, or apathy, a spiritual leader can transform the immediate power of these storms and restore vision, vitality and hope. A spiritual leader can fill a room with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and gentleness, even while speaking hard things. –Bob Hamp 

“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…”  (Galatians 5:22-23)  What if you took one, even just one of these qualities into the office today.  Or into the classroom.  Or to the dinner table. 

Immediate power to influence the atmosphere of an entire room. 

your character and your to do list

We watched two shows back-to-back this weekend.  Both were set in Alaska. 

The first was about men looking for gold on the ocean floor.  Cussing – greedy – fighting men.  One man had divorced his wife to look for gold in Alaska.  She thought the idea was foolish, so he left her.   

The second was about men in the Alaskan Coast Guard.  Disciplined – heroic – team-oriented men.  One woman bragged openly about the pride she feels in what her husband does every day. 

I wonder – 

Does gold make men greedy or do greedy men seek gold?  Does a rescuing job make a man selfless or do selfless men seek a rescuing job? 

Same ocean. 

Such a difference in character and purpose. 

What do you wake up to do every day? 

“Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”  (Philippians 2:4)