September 17, 2015 | Burled Wood

 

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, ‘For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. ” (Romans 8:35-37 KJV)
 
Burled wood
I was working on a lesson about the battles of everyday life: overcoming pain, mastering responsibility, staying courageous in a crisis, conquering chronic situations, finding courage to do what’s right – all because of the presence and power of God. It’s an inspiring, if sometimes daunting subject, and on the difficult days perspective really helps.
While praying through my study, I was blessed to receive the note below from my friend Dan Bolin, president of Christian Camping International. Here is the perspective that assists us in conquering the painful battles of life:
While in the Ukraine recently, I spent some solitary time in a thick, evergreen forest reflecting on God’s goodness and the glory revealed in His creation.
Sitting on a mossy log, I observed numerous trees with large burls about 10-15 feet (3-5 meters) off the ground. Above the enlarged and disfigured section, the trees grew straight and tall.
Exploring burls I discovered that they result from an injury, fungus or virus. The damaged and distorted portion of the tree is not pretty. But the wood of a burl is highly prized and of great value because of the beautiful swirls in its grain. In the hands of a master craftsman, wood that has been damaged and marred finds beauty and value it could not have known apart from the pain.
We all face times of heartache and injury. None of us escapes the burls of life for long.  But God is in the business of making all things new. Psalm 23 has four marvelous words that capture God’s heart for His injured and suffering people: “He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:3)
Don’t waste your pain. Give it to God and allow him to restore your soul with greater beauty and increased value. – Dan
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