Find Another Limb To Climb On

FIND YOU ANOTHER LIMB TO CLIMB ON!

MATTHEW 18:1-6 (KJV)

“1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

We have two walnut trees that are growing on the property line. We have a fence between us and the neighbor, and the trees are growing up the back side of the fence.

There are several limbs growing over on our side of the fence. The owner of the property owns several duplex apartments on the street behind our house. I did not want the fence row to grow up, and I spoke with the property owner about me keeping it clean. He told me that I could keep the fence row clean on his side of the property if I wished. He thought it would be a help to his property as well as mine.

About once a year I cut the limbs off on our side of the fence, and I cut the undergrowth off on his side of the fence. I have been busy this year, and I have been late in doing this.

The limbs have been growing over on our storage building and in the way of my ham radio antennas. I had planned to take care of this project for several weeks.

A new family moved into the duplex behind us several weeks ago. They have some small children. Two of these children are small boys about kindergarten and first grade age. These boys are very small in stature.

They are pretty normal boys, and they are on the very active side. I noticed a lawn chair lying in their yard under the tree. I did not pay very much attention to it until I saw the little boys climb in the chair and reach a limb on the tree and began to pull and swing on it.

I was a boy once, and I understand the nature of a child, especially a boy to want to climb trees. I watch these youngsters climb and swing on this limb, and I was afraid that they would hit the fence and get hurt.

I decided to change my plans and cut the limbs a few days earlier than planned. I decided to cut the low hanging limbs on the neighbor’s side also. I was afraid that the little fellows were going to get hurt. The little boys were not at home when I cut the limbs.

The next afternoon my wife and I were looking out our kitchen window. We watched these little boys come outside to climb on the tree limbs. One of the little boys climbed up in the chair and to his surprise and dismay the limb was gone. He told his brother about the missing limb. They pointed up in the tree, and we could tell by the look on their face that they did not have any idea what had happened to the limb.

One of the little boys picked up the lawn chair and dragged it to another tree closer to their house. They were determined to not allow the cutting of their limb to hinder them from climbing trees. They found them another tree and another limb to climb on.

•We carry our feelings on our shoulders as if we are waiting on some one to hit us and bump them off.

•If we are looking for something to go wrong it will usually go wrong.

•I was talking to one of my bosses a few years ago. I told him that he would find things wrong with my work if all he looked for were the things that I had done wrong.

•Life is a choice, and everything hinges around our attitude.

•If we are looking for something wrong in a person’s life or church we will find it.

•Fault finding is a true sign of immaturity.

•Children don’t hold grudges or un-forgiveness.

•Children don’t allow anger and bitterness to fester up and destroy them.

•The little boys did not get mad at me for cutting the tree limbs off.

•They did not see me do it, and they did not realize that I was the guilty party.