Where the tree falls

Ecc 11:3 If clouds are full of water, they pour rain upon the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there will it lie.
Ecc 11:4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

Ecc 11:5 As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb,   so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.

I was reminded of the above passage from Ecclesiastics when I went to survey the damage on Wednesday morning last week. My cell phone was ringing at midnight on Tuesday. That is a sound I never want to hear because no one calls me at midnight just to tell me what a lovely person I am. It was a tenant who although he knew it was late just wanted me to know a large branch had fallen on the neighbors lawn shed. (we also own the neighboring house so he wanted me to know we had a problem) This picture really does not show just how large this branch was. if you look closely you can see my 16 inch chain saw on the stone fireplace and it is much shorter than the diameter of the down limb. 

I had been sharpening the chain on my chain saw every time I used it this year. It was getting dull but it worked for what I needed it if I just spent a little time sharpening it. This tree limb was too big and the chain was cutting just off enough it was getting stuck. I went to Orscheln to get a new chain. I thought I remembered that the saw was an 18 inch blade. Now I want you to know that I did measure the blade just to verify that I was right before I went merrily off to buy a chain. Only problem was I measured the entire blade instead of just up to the slots on the blade. The helpful clerk at Orscheln , as I was checking out, perkily said "The senior citizen discount will help you out on this purchase today." That smarted a bit as I don't know at what age they give the senior citizen discount, but I am pretty sure you have to be past 60. Ouch, but thanks I guess. I just didn't ask her how old she thought I was. Now if you look at the picture above you will see the chain in that package is a 14 inch chain. Well of course I had measured the blade to the wrong point and the 18 inch chain was way too long. I had cut the packaging open and had to go back to the store and buy another chain after measuring exactly as the diagram on the back of the 18 inch chain package had shown how to measure. The clerk was very kind when I told her what had happened and told me she would take the 18 inch chain back and exchange it for a 14 inch. Well guess what, it was not a 14 inch blade either. It is a 16 inch blade. There was no way I was going to bring in another cut open package and tell them I had measured wrong twice, so I have a 14 inch chain if anyone needs one.

Sometimes we think we have our lives figured out and we know what tomorrow will be like. But then the unexpected happens and our world changes. The tree falls where it will. I often get too caught up in the tasks of the day and lose the vision of eternity. Don't worry so much about the fallen trees in your lives. Worry about whether you are loving those God has placed in your life right now. God will take care of everything else if you just go where He leads you.