Etched into the Heart

Etchings

On my walk through the woods, there is a newly chopped tree. It has a fascinating pattern of rings in its cross-section. What I find most interesting is that there is another pattern etched over the top. Some blacker, thinner, rings not smooth and regular looking; more like they were drawn by someone with a black pen, all raggedy, perhaps reminiscent of a heart trace monitor, but nevertheless forming an interesting geometric etching. It is an older tree, and the roots have loosened to such a degree, that the tree fell naturally. The company maintaining the woods, had chopped the trunk into logs, and then placed the tree stump upright again. 

I sometimes take the time to consider the world around me, at this very spot and use it as a seat, as it is about the halfway point of a journey that takes an hour and 15 minutes to walk. And yes, I did check the cross section of the logs, to see if the same pattern occurred. Sure enough, each piece was all indelibly and identically marked. 

You see trees carry their life history; if there was drought, or flooding in some years then this irregular patterning shows. Experts may even identify which years. 

Then I thought about the indelible pattern etched within each person. Were there emotional traumas, experienced when very young? ; emotions that could not be verbalised or expressed? Then that mark is invisibly etched into the person's emotional life history. If you were unfairly blamed, or your conscience weighs heavy, having done wrong to someone else, these wounds etch themselves into your psyche or your soul. You can not move on from the negative emotion it causes, and they scar your spiritual growth. These hurts then become a trigger points, making people react to everyday circumstances in their own specific ways: with anger, spitefulness or causing a bouts of  moodiness, like black clouds, where feelings from old rejections surface again.

2 Corinthians 7:10

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

 

One part of Life is true, in this respect, that everyone experiences these things, but individuals cope with them so differently, that these trigger points have the potential to cause lasting damage. Other trees in that forest did not have the black etched lines: even if similar in age. Perhaps the soil was more better drained, richer in compost, growing in a more favourable position. For us, our family is the soil that helps us to grow; we learn coping strategies from our closest relatives. Even so, we still need to have those dark streaks cleansed. The reactions conditioned into our thoughts and deeds, can only be erased by allowing ourselves to be vulnerable before a loving God. Imagine such a transforming experience on your life's journey! : to grow rather than be stunted. The tree I saw, died, its roots could not hold it upright; they could no longer provide sufficient water and food.

1Peter 3:23,24

When they hurled insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

John 15: 3,4

You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

Our stumbling blocks can cause us to sin in attitude; it's even harder if we were treated badly ourselves. But those inner strands running through our words and actions, like letters through rock - yes they can be rubbed out. This kind of healing is more important than being physically healed, for once we are set free, we can then be a blessing to others.