I have a special treat for you this week, I am sharing a couple of my Mother’s writings. As I have said before, I do not understand why God has called me to write. Writing is not something I ever thought of doing or particularly wanted to do. My Mom on the other hand, has always written things here and there her whole life. My kids grew up with her gifts of a writing here and there, usually something she wanted to teach them. She had given me a small collection of her writing many years ago, and with her permission I am sharing a couple of them with you! The first is about Success in our Failures, and then I had to share “The Tao of Grandma Erika” it has some fame within the family, mostly because Grandma is always quoting it.

The only changes that I made was to add in some headings and break it down a little for ease of on line reading. Enjoy!

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No Success Like Failure

 

This little story is an allegory and so I ask the reader to please suspend any distaste you may have for the cutting down of trees which is central to the plot.

 

Lumberjacks Mediocre Success

 

Once upon a time there was a mediocre lumberjack. He and all the other lumberjacks would go out every day and work on their patch of forest. On one day, after he had chopped down a few small trees, he came across one beautiful tree and he was over awed to find it in his patch of forest.

To think he would have the opportunity to chop it down inspired him. So he swung his ax and struck the huge trunk but nothing happened!

He swung and swung again and could only detect the smallest chip. This was a particularly difficult tree to chop down. He worked on it all afternoon and only made the smallest progress.

As all the other lumberjacks were coming in for the day, they crossed his patch and saw what he was doing.

“Ha, Ha!” they laughed. “You’ve come across your petrified tree,” they said.

“Petrified?” he thought. “This can’t be petrified,” he said, “I’ve made a small notch in it. Look!”

“Oh, we all come across our petrified trees,” they said. “Best not waste any time on it. Save your strength.”

So he came in with them and gave up for the day. But the next day, after he had chopped down a few small trees, he went back to the one beautiful one and worked on it some more.

 

Practice Means Success?

 

He just couldn’t help feeling that this was his tree and what an important accomplishment it would be to chop it down. He knew he wasn’t a very good lumberjack, but if he could do this it would help to give his life some meaning.

Everyday he worked at it a little more after he had chopped down a few other trees and everyday he made just a little progress – it seemed. Though he had to admit it wasn’t much.

And everyday, because of all that work he got stronger and better at chopping down trees. Pretty soon he could chop down as many trees as any other lumberjack and still have time to work on “his tree”. He kept getting fast and faster at chopping down trees because he wanted more time to work on it. And after some time he was one of the best lumberjacks in the forest.

 

Not the Success He Was Looking For?

 

Many years past and new trees grew up where he had chopped down the old ones and he still had only made a little progress on his tree. But it was enough to convince his it could be done. And yet, gradually, he had to admit to himself that he probable would not last long enough to be the one to do it.

He was honored at the mill for his excellence as a lumberjack but somehow, although he deeply appreciated it, he didn’t feel proud because the tree that had been the most important to him he had not been able to conquer.

We all have our petrified trees; things that are very important to us but that we can’t seem to get much success at. And yet we can’t give up. Things that we were never actually meant to succeed at, but that in the attempt we learn and grow and something is accomplished IN us. In the end, we have to turn them over to God and admit failure. Yet it is that failure that helps us to defeat our pride and keep us dependent on God.

So if you have ever wondered why when you’ve tried and tried at something and then finally when you gave up and gave it to God it finally worked out, remember Jack and his petrified tree. Even if it never works out the way you thought it should, remember you didn’t go through all that effort for nothing. It wasn’t so that you could accomplish your goal, but it was so that God could accomplish His goal in you.

 

More Thoughts on Pride and Failure

 

Necessary Failure

 

The more noble the cause at which we fail, the more bitter our disappointment. Or, the greater is the temptation to bitterness; the greater is the test of our faith. We never detect the taint of pride before we fail at our good ambition, but it is a foregone conclusion, and catch 22. Our fallen nature sabotages our best aspirations but we must learn that we can only succeed by grace and that all things must die here before they can live.

There is a problem with the imitation of Christ that arises out of the heated imagination and which is not a response to clear direction. It can be in error and there is a subtle element of pride that can creep in. Will we stand before the Lord one day and say “Look at all I went through; all I did in pursuit of the imitation of your holiness,” only to have Him say, “Why? I didn’t ask you to do that”?

It reminds me of a child who would rather put on a show for Mommy and Daddy than to do what they have been told. You see there is still a lack of obedience there and a willful desire to follow ones own ideas.

Boldness – yes

Obedience to scripture – yes

Fanaticism – no

Rashness – no

Waiting before the Lord, using discernment and making sure your heart is humble (as possible) can protect against such errors. We must remember that when we make them, although God is forgiving and we do learn from them, we bring not only ourselves but also the name of Christ into disrepute.

 

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The Tao of Grandma Erika

First Principles:

 

1. God is good and Jesus proves it.
2. The secret of happiness is forgiveness.
3. The secret of success is adaptability.
4. The root of all evil is self-pity/pride. Rather cultivate gratitude.

Second Principles:

 

1. Be kind and generous but be wise. Do not help other to sin against you for this is bad for their soul and tempts you to feel sorry for yourself, and the root of all evil is self-pity.
2. Be as friendly as possible but stay true to yourself. Don’t try to please everyone all the time.
3. Take responsibility, but the sister of self-pity is guilt. Guilt belongs on the cross.
4. Do your job but do not work too hard and resent it. Remember to rest and do not be anxious.

 

Right Relationship

 

The secret of life is Right Relationship

Right Relationship with God; to acknowledge Him as sovereign creator of the universe and to accept Him as your Lord; to realize His love for you and to return love and thanksgiving to Him and to obey His word.

Right Relationship to yourself; to love yourself as a creature of God; not to overvalue or undervalue yourself; to always be before Him allowing Him to reveal and cleanse you of sin and to receive His love and grace.

Right Relationship to others; to see others as creations of God; not to overvalue or undervalue them but to see them as having equal value to yourself in God’s eyes whether they are in right relation to Him or not.

Right Relationship to nature and to things; to practice good stewardship and respect for God’s creation; to be grateful for blessings but not to be covetous.

 

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Thank you for reading! If you find this helpful in anyway, or it just made you feel __________ (something) We would love to hear about it, please comment below. And I would be honored if you would share on your favorite Social Media platform.

Many Thanks! 8)

Grace and Peace,

Debra Jean & Erika