Catwalks, Sidewalks and Other Walks of Faith

So I learned two lessons, yesterday. at The Sustainable Forestry Teacher Experience: #1 Older trees or those that stop aggressively growing are in danger of attack and dying.(BTW “growing” means pressing deeply into the ground with your roots as you stretch closer to the sun (Son) #2 Trees that are alone are perceived by predators as having something wrong with them and are in danger of attack and dying. Yesterday I got to experience this lesson. I DO NOT do heights unless I’m in a closed space....more afraid of falling than the altitude. Yesterday we were challenged with LOTS of heights (lots is my opinion) and definitely open spaces with see-through floors—-hard to get much more open than that. Literally, my teeth chattered as I walked the catwalks and wished to be back on the sidewalk below! I started to bow out. I walked toward my leader and all but told her as much, but then I wanted to grow like the big trees I saw. Knees buckling, palms sweating and white knuckling through it, I grew! God gave me an awesome team of new friends who said: “I’ve got your back!” It’s not lost to me that Troy Lumber was in Montgomery County. Troy, is my twin brother and the first guy I loved! Montgomery is the name James Montgomery gave me almost three decades ago and that I’m still honored to have. Neither could be here to hold my hand, yet I had what I needed from Jehovah Jireh The God Who (always) Provides. I’m thankful for a good old country boy named Adam who was a very patient guide and coaxed my as we walked. He reminded me of my rough around the edges, but big-hearted brother who always cracks himself up with his own jokes! I’m thankful for Amy our sponsor whose eyes would catch my gaze in the boisterous mill and say “You’ve got this!” And I’m thankful for Rodney Crouse whose presence at this Experience has been one of God’s sweetest gifts to me!! Thanks for being a quiet source of strength to me and for distracting my nerves by pointing out the beauty in the ordinary things we take for granted! I’m so richly blessed and so grateful! I’m believing for God to bless you as you have blessed me! And I pray as you read this that you will grow and stretch and that you will be forever connected to the people God has gifted in your life! "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you!" Philippians 1:3