An unfortunate event has been occurring in our area for years now. The Hemlock trees that make up a good portion of our woods and the woods of the National Forest surrounding us have been dying. Some inoculation can save certain trees, but the majority of them are dying. I imagine our property to have been plush and beautiful, more so than it is now, back in the day before the deterioration of our earth took place!
While in the woods yesterday, the foot of a dead hemlock grabbed my attention. With death taking over, the layers are peeled back and the core is exposed. As the truth of this stuck my heart, I sort of shrank at my core being exposed someday. I'm not what I want to be. I cover over the rottenness with layers of many different kinds, but the core remains the same. And I'm ashamed. Then I grab a hold of this piece of life: even when we were dead in our transgressions, [he] made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).
As I continue to die to self, the rottenness continues to be exposed. But with such exposure comes an inoculation of sorts. A restoring of life through Christ and His life-saving grace! I'm thankful for such a gift today!