As we walked along the forest trail it wasn’t the heights of the trees around me, not the brook noisily flowing past, but the moss growing on the trees that captured my attention.
Lush, soft, growing in varying amounts on every tree and stump. It drew one’s eyes to it simply because the rest of the forest, in early spring, was still in it’s winter slumber. Only the emerald green of the moss dotted the landscape with colorful life.
Moss does not harm trees, unless the weight of it, saturated with rainwater grows to the point that the stability of branches is in question. It just simply lives and grows on them, adding mystical appearance.
Moss growing on a tree is an example of commensalism it gets a place to live and grow and the tree neither benefits nor is harmed. Basically, moss is simply a squatter on the tree.
At least that how science would define the relationship.
But, as I walked amid the moss covered forest trees, I saw things differently.
That rich, life-filled moss drew my eyes to the tree that, otherwise, would have blended into the forest of trees. It stuck out, brought joy, delight in the showy example of living brightly in a dark and shady place.
Though the tree is not harmed or benefitted from the moss growing there, I was indeed benefitted.
Sometimes, as a follower of Christ, as one who lives and desires to be light in the dark, be living water amid the murky depths in our world …
it can feel as though we are like moss on a tree …
growing and living,
but never having an impact on our host (the world).
It can seem, perhaps, that we are so busy with our own living, that we don’t bring Jesus to those around us.
As though, like the moss on the tree, we are simply living our life, without any impact for Christ on our surroundings.
Psalm 34:5, a Psalm of David, tells us:
“Those who look to Him are radiant with joy;
their faces shall never be ashamed.”
We, who are followers of Christ, have looked on his Crucified self … sacrificed for us, for the world. But we have not only looked, we have accepted that his sacrifice was for our own good. That “he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). And in seeing the reality of the purpose of his crucifixion, we reflect, or radiate joy that is found only in Him.
This joy that we radiate is not only seen by God, or by his followers, it is also seen by those around us. It is seen by those walking though along beside us,
standing out like moss on the trees in a forest in early spring.
Like that moss, we can have an impact (if we live as followers, growing from the word as our nourishment). Though we are busy we still bring something to the forest in which we live …
we bring beauty
Isaiah 33:17 tells us,
Your eyes will see the King in His beauty;
They will behold a far-distant land.
We reflect this beauty of the King and He in us will allow others to imagine life and eternity with HIm.
All we have to do is bring beauty to our dark and murky world.
itsawonderfilledlife 