Hubby and I had our forestry field trip this past weekend. It was a great time!
Our forestry class met at the property of a lady from our class, who lives about 30 min. away. She and her husband own a gorgeous 20 acre piece of forest property … which offered plenty of room for our three rotation groups to spread out.
At our first rotation we learned about invasive weeds. There are 143 state-designated invasive noxious weeds. At this station we got to see several cool tools for taking out invasive weed species … and we learned the difference between the native trailing blackberry (which is all over our own property) vs. salmonberry (which I have been aggressively pulling up and calling “nasty sticker bushes” … but in reality, it is native and is perfectly fine!) vs. the true invasive noxious weed Himalayan blackberry (that truly needs to go!).
At our second rotation we learned about silviculture (the science of planting and growing trees). Here we practiced the proper way to plant a tree, we learned about height-to-crown ratios, forest density, thinning, etc. And we even got to see a boring sample taken out of a tree! So cool!
Here you can see, in the boring sample, how the growth rings at the top of the sample are spaced much closer together than the growth rings at the bottom of the sample. This is a clear indication that this particular tree has been under stress the past few years … and our professor explained the “why” as we studied the surrounding forest.
At our third rotation we learned about measurements: how to measure trees per acre, different ways to measure the diameter of trees, how to measure height of trees, etc. And we came home with a handy wooden yardstick-type tool to help us in our diameter/height measurements in our own forest.
I had such a wonderful time at our forestry field trip … so it came as a shock and surprise to me when, after getting back home, the thought randomly popped into my mind out of nowhere: “Your forest isn’t as good as their forest.”
What???
The thought continued: “Their forest is 20 gorgeous acres, and your measly little forest is only 4.8 acres. There’s no way a forestry class could have a field trip at your forest because it’s not big enough. It’s not nearly as good.”
I was still in shock, going “What??? Where did that thought come from???”
The thoughts continued: “Their forest has way more big beautiful evergreen trees than your forest does. Did you see how healthy and beautiful their Western Hemlocks were! All of your hemlocks are sickly and dying.”
The thoughts further continued: “Their forest understory is better than your forest understory. You don’t have a pretty understory like that.” …
… “Their forest is way out in nature, far away from the city. Your forest isn’t way out in the middle of nowhere like that. Your forest is too close to the city. Your forest has airplanes flying overhead all the time.”
It was at this point that the absurdity of that last thought made me respond: “That’s the dumbest thing ever! All the forest belongs to God. It’s all His … so what does it matter if it’s here where my forest is, or way out there where their forest is?? It’s all God’s forest anyway!”
And it was at this point that I saw the thoughts for what they were … Satan … Satan was trying to get into my head. I looked directly at Satan and I said: “Satan, get out of my head!!”
And I immediately began to give thanks for every wonderful gift God has given me in my forest! I thanked God for the little slugs … and the little chipmunks … and the wildflowers … and the pileated woodpeckers!
A thought popped into my mind: “They probably have pileated woodpeckers on their 20 acres too. So your pileated woodpeckers don’t matter.”
And I told Satan: “I don’t care … I’m thankful for the pileated woodpeckers I have! Right here! In my forest! Satan, get out of my head!”
Satan comes to steal … kill … and destroy!
Those thoughts of comparison were dropped in my mind by Satan. By them, Satan wanted to steal my joy … kill my contentment … and destroy my happiness!
Satan comes to steal … kill … and destroy!
Have you ever had thoughts like that, that randomly pop into your mind out of nowhere? It’s Satan. Satan is coming for you.
Perhaps it might be a thought about how your spouse does that certain thing which really annoys you!
Satan is coming for you! Satan is coming to steal … kill … and destroy your marriage!
When that thought pops into your mind, you have got to recognize it for what it is. It is a lie! It is a lie from Satan.
If you give in and choose to believe that thought, and choose to pick that thought up … and carry it around with you … more thoughts just like it will come to join.
Pretty soon you will be carrying around a whole mind-full of frustration! … and annoyed thoughts about your spouse. And at this point, you have crossed the line from Satan tempting you … into the realm of personal sin. The moment you picked that thought up, and chose to dwell on that thought … you sinned.
Or perhaps it might be a thought which pops into your mind about that person who did something hurtful to you. The pain is real! The wound in your heart is deep, and real! And … into your mind that thought pops.
Satan is coming for you! Satan is coming to steal … kill … and destroy you!
When that thought pops into your mind … yes, recognize that the pain is real. The hurt is real! The wound is real! And that thought just ripped it open and made it start bleeding all over again!
And yes, cry if you need to. Cry that pain out to Jesus! Give that fresh hurt (all over again) … give it all to Jesus.
But don’t dwell on that thought. Don’t pick that up! Don’t give Satan a foothold.
Give that thought to Jesus. Yes, that thing happened. Yes, it is hurting all over again. Give that thought to Jesus! And the next one that pops into your mind. And the next one that pops into your mind.
And as Satan keeps popping thought after thought into your mind, cry out to Jesus: “Jesus please help me!” And He will!
Satan prowls about like a silent, stealthy bobcat … like a devious, sneaky, swift coyote … like a prowling cougar patrolling its territory. Satan is seeking to destroy you!
Satan is seeking to steal your contentment! … kill your joy! … and destroy your peace!
Resist him! Stand firm in the faith!
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” – James 4:7
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.” – 1 Peter 5:8-9
