I came across this old woodman’s proverb while reading and thought how interesting to capture that much thought into one line.

While upright, the tree aspires to touch the sky. Tall, slender, attractive perhaps with beautiful green foliage.  Beautiful to the eye of the beholder. But if one were to try to measure the tree, the probability of coming up with an exact measurement is usually slim since this could be considered to be a moving target. Although with modern equipment such as laser technology, this probably could be done more accurately today. But back then, when felling a tree involved sweat equity and a few tools, measuring a tree, while it stood upright, was a daunting task.

It is usually true, that when we are in the valleys of life that, we truly see how small, how inadequate, how ineffective we really are. While we are on the mountain tops, perhaps of career success, financial success, family and other types of successes, we rarely take time to reflect on who we are.Sometimes we do, but usually the reflections lack a depth that come with falling on our knees in agony. Who has agony when they are successful? You hear about the agony of defeat, but not really the agony of success.

So my point is this. We, usually,  are best measured in the trials, the disappointments, the failures. Many times we look at these things despondently and perhaps fall into the trap of disillusion, discouragement and despair. Let us be reminded of a few things.

While it is human nature to feel rejected, lonely, heartbroken, despondent in the face of grief, illness, loss, fear, abandonment, war, strife, family crisis, financial and economic crisis, threats of annihilation and the list goes on- let us remember one thing-we are in  process. If we take a moment to reflect, we might come to the conclusion, that …”This too will pass”. Because, one of the greatest characteristics of humanity throughout any society, any age, is that we can hope.

It was once said that “Man can live about 40 days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope.”

Helen Keller also said “”Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope or confidence.”

HOPE is the great character trait embedded in each of us. And when we are down and being measured by all sorts of measuring sticks- it is the one thing that keeps us going. The psalmist says it beautifully in Psalm 23- (NKJV)

So despite being knocked down, trampled upon, beaten, abused, taken for granted- whatever the means to get us down, let us take comfort in the fact.

THIS IS JUST A PROCESS. IF WE CAN JUST UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS, WE WILL MAKE IT.

And, once we know this,  that the Master will never leave us, He is there with us every step of the way in the valley, we most surely will get to the end.

When I am down O Lord, let me reflect on the things you need me to learn. Help me to learn the lesson well that I may become a better person. Certainly, I am a work in progress. As noted in Jeremiah 18:1- we are but clay in the potter’s hand and He is in the process of perfecting us. The process involves being broken and put again on the potter’s wheel.

My prayer is this -“Give me strength and expand my hope as I am on this wheel of change- that I may know you, O Lord.”

Paul says it well in Phil 3:7-14 (NKJV) –But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.  Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;  that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,  if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.  Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.  Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,  I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Let us do the same. In the daily measuring process of our lives, let us press forward to our destinies in Christ.By the grace of Almighty God, the best is yet to come. Amen