Aw Nuts

Many of you know about my involvement with The American Chestnut Foundation. I started an experimental Chestnut orchard two years ago in the hopes of being one small cog in the large gear of developing a blight resistant American Chestnut strain. My wife Jennifer and I with the help of several friends planted 200 nuts. Only a little over half of those germinated, probably due to improper storage over the winter. I've included a photo of the tallest result of that planting that is almost five feet tall already. The grower who supplied the nuts got his storage system corrected and provided replacement nuts for the ones that never came up. He will do so again this year and that will probably be the last attempt to get all 200 spots showing a viable tree. In a few years our trees will be intentionally exposed to the blight and the reality is that most of them will die as a result. I know; you're thinking "Nuts"; right? All this time and energy to produce a bunch of dry,brittle, dead trees worth nothing more than a bit of fire wood kindling.

The good news is that there's a pretty good chance that a few (10% or less) of the trees will show resistance to the blight and produce nuts carrying the genetic properties of the parent tree and providing seed for the next generation. As with all our endeavors, only our Maker knows the outcome. Our orchard puts me in mind of the valley of dry bones which the prophet Ezekiel speaks of in the Book named for him. Perhaps out of the dry bones of trees that don't make it will come a rattling that comes to life and helps reestablish the wonderful trees the value of which my father and grandfather often spoke. Is it nuts to think that life can come from something dying? Isn't that what always is required? Almost from the time of the first Schoonovers in this country a common name in the family was Ezekiel. I can't help but think that may be a sign.

Transition

Knowing that you have been created for a purpose is essential to begin the process of answering the question, "What am I here for?" That question and the universal need to answer it, at least by the sober in our midst, requires input from those with whom we associate and especially those with understanding of how we are to seek the answer. The last seventeen plus years, the pastor of our church has helped me tremendously with the business of finding purpose. The fact that he has recently felt called to serve elsewhere leaves me, and others, with a mix of emotions that can only come when the nature of a relationship comes to an end. At that point, knowing that things will never be same, we need to evaluate what has happened and use what we have learned to move forward.

To say I will miss the man who has encouraged me to seek purpose over these seventeen years is quite the understatement. It makes me pause to appreciate the way many others have done a similar thing. My decision to make a ministry of woodworking through "Out of the Woodwork" would not likely have happened had it not been for the interaction with many people, some of whom I can thank only in my prayers at this point. Ministry in whatever form it takes allows us to fulfill the purpose for which we were created. The catch is, we have to do it with people, messed up,imperfect, sinful people; just like ourselves. My pastor, soon to be the pastor elsewhere, has modeled how to do that for me and those that will remain and continue to be the church. Take time to thank those who are doing likewise for you and if you happen to be reading this and are unsure of who those people are, slow down, observe the humble servants around you, and realize they are likely serving for the best of reasons; Jesus asked them to.

Less Than 1/3 Of One Percent

Well now, how did we do with making those New Year's resolutions? At this time of year, nearly everyone either consciously or unconsciously makes the decision to do something that they have been putting off. Part of the difficulty with resolutions is that we usually resolve to do something that will take a while to accomplish. When we get several days or weeks or more into the new year and the goal has not been achieved, discouragement sets in and the rationalization about why what we hoped for isn't happening begins. Maybe it would be helpful to understand that the small steps necessary to take a long journey need to be taken pretty much one at a time. Being content with small advancement is the key to actually achieving the intention of our resolutions.

As I write this, day one of 2015 is nearly over. Rather than consider how far I need to go to make my resolutions reality, I'm going to consider how far I should expect to be at any given point in the year. Most things we resolve to do are not things that happened quickly (that twenty pounds I hope to lose didn't get gained overnight and it won't be lost that way either). Assuming  a resolution to change may take all year (I know, I know. Who has all year?), then I need to consider how far down the road toward the goal I should be. One day out of three hundred sixty-five in 2015 is over. I should be 1/365 of the way to completing the change I set out to make.

The catch, of course, is that we're talking less than one third of one percent when we consider the fractional part of the year one day comprises. Actually, my resolution for the last several years has been the same and probably will be for the remaining New Years with which I may be blessed. I resolve to try to be more Christ-like in my life. Does that have anything to do with Out of the Woodwork? Of course it does; because that is one place where I will continue to interact with other people and that is where being Christ-like becomes possible. No matter what your hopes for the New Year may be, understand that it doesn't take much to get 1/365 of the way to the goal. In the case of resolving to follow Christ, the journey on this side can never be complete. He is perfect and I will never be. His grace and love will sustain any who choose to follow Him and if I can get the distance between Him and me just 1/365 closer, it was good day. May all who may take time to read my ramblings have a blessed year ... one day at a time.