Regular Maintenance
It came about, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went to serve Baal and worshiped him. 1 Kings 16:31 nasbu
There is a custom in this place, born out of the confluence of climate and the inherent fertility of ice age deposits that formed the terra firma of the midlands, that occupies us at least once per year. Around here things grow, and growing things periodically must be given a haircut. Without it, chaos would result. This year's maintenance has just concluded--with the able-bodied assistance of our faithful (if not gullible) nephew who voluntarily exchanges a plane ticket and days of back-breaking work for a few hearty country meals. (And as this aging writer greets with fear and loathing each approaching year, he is increasingly grateful for that assistance.) With a familiar rhythm we progressed across the property, raising canopies, clearing out undergrowth, and removing dead and fallen limbs. The chain saw and trimmer filled the air with their mechanical stench, combining with the no less pungent fumes exuded by our bodies. We performed a variety of tasks, generally giving the growing things more breathing space, but one of the more important jobs on my list was to remove the spurious trees and vines growing in the stand of conifers. By now there were weeds that had matured into deciduous trees, emerging through the evergreen branches of the conifers. Worse, invasive vines--some as thick as a man's wrist--were twined throughout the trees. In the evergreens the vine is typically a wild grape that grows naturally along the adjacent fence. It begins as a pretty little growth that softens the harsh line of barbed wire, but then finds a purchase in the overhanging limbs of the tree and begins its ascent. Soon it is not so pretty, but becomes a nominal burden to the tree--and an eyesore in the landscape. But it can be extracted, pulled out like the proverbial magician's knotted scarves from a dupe's ear--a seemingly endless length of vine destined for the burn pile. In the oaks that surround the house, however, the invasive vine is a more insidious beast--a form of poison oak that begins as a tiny red vine snaking across the ground. Once it finds a tree, it begins its climb, attaching itself to the trunk with tiny feelers and quickly growing in length and thickness. In a relatively short period of time it can overwhelm smaller trees, and be difficult to remove. And its removal is not without a price: a close cousin to poison ivy, even with common sense protection, the plant leaves the worker's arms decorated by an itching rash.If it is true that God has painstakingly revealed Himself in nature, it is also true that in that nature He has placed myriad parables from which we can discern His will for our lives. And prominent in God's will is His desire that we regularly, systematically present ourselves to Him for maintenance. We need not go out of our way to collect sin in our lives; simply living where we do will see to that. So regular house cleaning in the form of submission and confession is necessary. Failure to perform this regular maintenance invariably results in the insidious vine of corruption establishing itself even more deeply in our lives, sapping our Spiritual energy and causing our lives to become unsightly.
Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.
Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:1-2,7 nasbu