bark

We enjoyed the beautiful, white-barked aspen trees of Colorado's mountains last week.  My nephew Michael explained that carving messages and initials in the bark is very common and popular because the bark preserves these personal messages in the mountains.  This morning, back home at the pond in Virginia, my eyes were drawn to the scaly bark of the large pine trees we have.  I thought about the purpose of bark.  Like our skin, it protects the inner life-carrying vessels from harm.   It helps the tree retain water and insulates against extreme temperature change.  It is porous and allows the tree to breathe and, like a scab on a wound, it protects against disease from invading.  It is also the outermost part of the tree and helps us to identify each kind of tree.  I think of the protection provided by our Lord.  We are delicate and the workings of life are as sensitive as they are essential.  He covers us with protection to allow life to grow...to be healed...to be insulated from radical harm.  Yet, His protection allows us to breathe individually and to mature in height and flower and fruit...and in Him our identity is truly marked.  And in our bark...He has etched His name...and He will return down this mountain path and find us.

Genesis 28:^{15 "}What's more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you."

blessings and love,

Rob Smith