Twenty five years ago we began the planting of well over 200 Colorado blue spruce, red and white pine trees on our five acres. The trees grew and provided incredible privacy for the deck and back yard. Wonderful!!!

A few years ago I got to thinking that I should take out a few 25’ red pines and replace them with 6 to 8’ blue spruce trees. They would grow and provide continued privacy, even if the red pines got a disease. Good planning!!!! Two years ago I asked a friend, Ken, to come with his chain saw to cut down selected red pines – to be replaced with the blue spruce trees. Ken went to work…and it was going so well that I decided we should cut a few more…and why not open up the side yard a bit by cutting a few white pines?

When Sally Jo returned home from a wonderful day in New York City, she was stunned by what she found, but she said very little. One night I woke up and heard Sally Jo crying. When I asked why: “the trees reminded me of our cabin at Hills Lake.”

Trees have been transplanted and will grow… but it will take years before the privacy we enjoyed returns. I feel ashamed of my bad decision…made because I was caught up in the excitement of the moment. Daily I am reminded of the foolishness of my decision through seeing the impact it has had upon our property. Physical and emotional scars remain.

There are many other ways we can create scar tissue – much more significant scar tissue! Twice in high school attractive, wonderful Christian girls asked me to have sex with them. Emotion almost overtook reason…but I never crossed the line. But oh, so close! With both girls I had to stop our relationship. If I had accepted the invitation, think how my life would have changed. Through one emotional decision I might have become a father…and chosen my wife. I would have disqualified myself from receiving the wife God had prepared for me. I have not forgotten what happened – and what could have happened! Scar tissue remains.

This week I received the following e-mail: “…The past two years has felt like a roller coaster. I made the mistake of getting into a relationship with a woman that really brought me away from everything that I had believed in…my priorities got completely flipped upside down. I’m finally now starting to get things back on track. I got out of my relationship which helped me stay focused… Spiritually, I was struggling a lot, but have recently been trying to get back to where I want to be. I won’t lie though, it’s been a struggle. After being away from it for 2 years, it’s been a slow process coming back.” Scar tissue will remain!

God gave us His Ten Commandments for our good. When we break the Ten Commandments, in a sense, we break ourselves. Scar tissue will come to us if we covet, steal, lie, miss-use the Sabbath (this commandment has more explanation than any other), worship success, murder…dishonor our parents,

Paul wrote: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” I Corinthians 10:13

But…let’s be real….”If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” I John 1:10& 9 BUT even with sins forgiven and relationships restored, scar tissue will remain.

Let us work at Living In Parnership With God…so we do not waste precious time – time during which we could be receiving God’s perfect provisions for us – to enable us to do the work which He has prepared for us to do! Let us not miss the continual joy, excitement and challenge of Living In Partnership With God!