Once restrained, now set free.

I'm in a place that is completely conducive to new beginnings. Fort Collins, Colorado. I am surround daily by the warm and comforting hearts of close friends, who fill themselves on the beauty of the Holy Spirit and only offer me what is true and what is good. I am ever so blessed to be in this place, where God is truly doing a work in my heart. He has shown me clearly that I am not supposed to leave here the same as when I arrived, and there is no way I will arrive by the time I leave.

If any of you know me, even in the least bit, you would know how much I love nature, trees especially. I love finding God in nature, how He reveals Himself to me. Being in Colorado has heightened my God-in-nature sense greatly. I've felt restricted the past few weeks, like an adolescent tree in a park that the gardeners forgot to untie. Think of this image, a tree obviously strong enough to stand alone, but with in inches are two posts flanking the two sides, all attached by two thick rubber bands. There's no budging. The strongest winds seem to be no contest. As this tree grows the bark of the trunk grows around the bands. The posts start leaning, so does the tree. All the while, the tree is nourished by the right things; sun from the sky, nutrients and water from the earth.

I am this trees. I have established a support system around me, posts on which I depend on, lean on, strap myself to. I cling so desperately to them, finding my strength in them, I'm completely dependent.

A gardener visits the park again. He makes his way to the deepest corner of the park where this tree has grown. He stands back to assess the problem. He takes out his clippers and cuts away the bands. The posts give way. The tree seems to stumble at the loss of its support.

These past few weeks have been a process, God is my gardener. He cut away the bands that hold me upright. I shuttered a little, put up a fight. My bark grew over the bands, attempting to hide them. I didn't want to let go because I was afraid I would fall. But to my surprise I stayed standing.

His hand keeps me upright. His love and concern, and promises support me. He is my strength to stand. While the scars are left in my bark, where my self-made support was attempting to make its way to my core. But He sees that and my poor stature as beautiful. He works with the messed up tree that I am. He provides me with fresh water. He pours out His mercy in the rain. He prunes my branches, and harvests fruit from under my leaves. He takes me through seasons and reveals His plan. He brings people into my shelter and cares for them in the shade of my limbs. He is the reason for my life. If I had been confined to those posts and bands, I would have never had the capacity to grow. I'm a tree undone. Though I'm scarred, He uses me. Though I'm leaning, He loves me.

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I'll try not to make all my posts so cliche. I just wanted to explain the "Trees Undone" name of my blog. :)