Looking at a patch of clear-cut land a couple of years after the lumber harvest can give one hope and a pull towards the future. Small trees are struggling to find the sky, green brush and plants fight to take control. Coming back to scrub land of twenty plus years ago shows the result of the promise. Undergrowth has long since passed, and all that remains are the young trees now standing 30 plus feet.
One of the fun opportunities I have while camping is to run a sound system for a band that plays each night. Every year there are new surprises, not all of them good. Strange gremlins creep in, each with their own unique hums or squeaks, requiring a bit a patience to identify and solve. All the while, everyone around me has an opinion about what the problem is, why it occurred, and how to solve the problem. For those close to the situation, the comments are actually helpful. However, for everyone else, it would be a lot better if everyone would keep the non-informed thoughts hidden! Scrub words are just not relevant.
I have no idea of where you or anyone else is with God. I honestly do not know, nor can I tell, except for the external symptoms. I can observe, share my observations, and give feedback when requested; however, anything else often comes across as verbal scrub. Words and thoughts shared when one is a close and involved can be helpful. Every other bit of advice and comment is baggage that often just needs to be tossed. The one thing that must and will survive is our relationship with God. We alone are responsible and accountable for that, no one else.
The fact of the matter is that “know-it-alls talk too much – a sheer waste.” (Proverbs 10.14) Their words are garbage floating down the stream, probably getting in our way. Be careful, life is never easy, yet there is hope. God is on your side and mine. Everything is resolved, except for our stubbornness. This is the challenge today.
