Can felling a tree help you prepare for life? Maybe.

 Hello everyone. I hope you're having as good of a day that is possible and will forgive me for being a day late on my chat here.  The Bears were on yesterday and I ended up wasting 3 hours of my day watching my team stink it up pretty bad and then only realized heading to bed that I did NOT finish nor send out this chat to you….Anyhow, I’ve been working on preparing firewood (its really never done) and thought that I could somehow weave tree felling to life lessons.  So, here it goes. 

How felling a tree can help you prepare for life...

Know your limits.

If you have never used a chainsaw and dont even have all of the safety gear to go along with it, maybe it's best left to those who have more experience or at least ask for their help.  There are times where we feel that we have life all figured out and try to grab that tiger by the tail and run with it but we fail to see that we need to be patient and take our time to truly understand how to move forward.  I mean, even the Apostle Paul and others were prevented by the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel in Asia and instead sent westward.  Like an inexperienced person attempting to cut down a tall tree, sometimes we need to stop and listen to better advice even if we want to charge ahead with doing something.   

Be fully equipped. 

Being fully equipped is so important to safely felling a tree.  I’m by far no expert but I do know that from small trees to large trees I need to make sure I have my saw in good working order, make sure I have my wedges, a good axe and of course all of your safety gear!!  Just like being fully equipped to fell a tree is a necessity, being fully equipped for what life throws at ya is just as or even more important.  The only difference is that we may not know if we have equipped ourselves properly to safely take down a tree but we DO know that God has been working to equip you with everything you need to get through the challenges of life.   Sure, we will still be very imperfect in the challenges of life even with God equipping us but hey, He is there and He has prepared us.  Take a look at Hebrews 13: 20-21 for further detail.  

Don't rush felling, Don't cut blindly. 

Before you fell a tree, you’ll need to take the time to analyze both the tree you’re cutting down and its surrounding area. Is the tree close to your home or another structure such as a fence, garage, or parking area? Any power lines nearby? Is the tree rotting, dead branches? Does the tree lean in a direction opposite where you want it to fall? Is the tree surrounded by other trees? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, call in a professional.  Thankfully I have not made any big mistakes felling trees that resulted in damage or injury but I have made life choices blindly that have caused me heart ache in the past and I definitely analyze life choices ahead of me much more than ever to help mitigate the impact of my mistakes.  Take time and always remember that you have Jesus who is the perfect consultant in all matters of your life.  He will never lead you in a direction of pain and suffering. 

When a tree falls, it will FALL!

Once it starts to fall, the tree is out of your control, so you must know which way you want it to tumble before you make the first cut. Keep in mind that the tree will tend to fall in the direction of any natural lean.  Just like a tree falling after you release the strap life will ultimately go in the direction of choices that you make.  Like needing to measure your yard and clearing a nice spot for a tree to land safely, life decisions require forethought as well as a healthy dose of respect.  To be clear, we all make mistakes and most of us learn from them and are the better having gone through a tough patch but please know that its never good to continually feel that pain of habitual mistakes especially when just a concentrated short amount of aiming will help you stick that life decision a little better.  

Have an escape route. 

Once you’ve determined that the tree is safely within your capabilities to fell, establish a fall path, and gather your equipment, it’s time to clear the area. First, move any pets, people, or other objects out of the fall path. Now, plan and clear two escape routes on the non-fall side of the tree. You’ll use one of these to safely get away from the tree as it tumbles.  Falling trees are unpredictable, it’s good to have two escape routes in case the tree falls in a direction you weren’t expecting.   In life, you can have a plan on how to deal with unexpected events that cause you or those you love pain.  Know how to apologize, know how to forgive but above all, know that God is faithful and He will not let you be tested beyond what you can bear.  1st Corinthians 10:13 tells us a really cool and relieving fact that when we are tested that He will also provide a way out so that we can endure the challenges that life throws our way.  

Lastly, DON’T get careless.

The final cut is the felling cut, and I can tell you from experience that this is where things often go sideways if you aren’t careful.  I didn't write this to you all as a comprehensive instruction to felling trees so forgive me as there are a ton of steps you need to take to safely complete your cut.  Having said that, this is the point where you will make little decisions that will have big consequences if you get them wrong.  You have gotten to this point of tree felling by being smart and careful and you don't want to rush the last part here by being careless and damage property or worse, being seriously hurt.  We all are aging and life doesn't get any easier just because we have made it to a certain age.  We all have and will have challenges for the rest of our lives and the experiences that have defined us up to this point will only guide us for the rest of our lives not carry us across the finish line. Point is; God has given us all the tools to equip us to live life the best we can and its up to us to use them.  We all will stumble, I can fell a tree today perfectly and then screw one up tomorrow, there is a decision that we will not get right but please know that it is…..OK.  Trust in the Lord!  He won't necessarily make you a better tree feller but He is there, watching over me as I trust He is watching over all of you.  

Take care and God Bless!!

J