Mine to Know

Friday monring:

Did a nature walk today under a huge rainforest canopy. I didn’t see any animals outside of the insects. The Ghanaians have no word for insect. Everything is what it is, or it’s just an animal. So . . . I saw a lot of animals that weighed under 1,000 mg. A marching row of soldier ants was the most fun.

A huge variety of trees. I won’t bore you with them, although I was not. But I would like to share with you one tree that was really good at killing other trees. Huge trees. It’s lay name is a Strangling Fig tree. Basically, it sneaks up along side of the large tree and begins to strangle it, growing up around it and eventually engulfing it with itself. It’s a form of parasite tree. It can only grow large by attaching itself to another tree. The most interesting thing about the one we saw was that our guide said that this particular tree engulfed and killed another of its own kind, which had previously done the same to some other type of tree. Hard to tell from the picture, but there is a dead tree inside. Well, two actually. They always start by tangling itself around the big tree, which you can see from the second picture I’ve uploaded. (Ignore the tourist, he's harmless.)

Made me think. (Yes I know, not again!?)

Have you ever reflected on your past and considered the person you were in your youth, or perhaps even younger? And then asked yourself this specific question. What have I lost? In other words, what did I have going for me then that I don’t seem to have anymore. Life’s bumps and bruises have removed that part from me and it would be good to have it back when I think about it.

I’ve got one or two things that have gone missing and I think I just suppressed them, hid them, for the sake of projecting a different person. One that I thought was more presentable, more successful, more acceptable.

I’m talking about the whole idea of who is the real me within and have I been over taken by some kind of super-me to wear in front of others to ensure acceptance and whatever else I thought was necessary.

The picture of the strangling fig brought this to mind, as I wondered if I am my own worst enemy, and perhaps, have I strangled the real me that existed many years ago. I know that time and the bumps and bruises shape us and that’s a good thing. But I don’t think they should ever strangle the deeper persona that God created within me to be.

I need to spend some time with God on this and ask him to restore that which has gone missing and perhaps has been strangled, be that by myself or other means. I know what those things are and I could get into it with you, but I don’t think it’s yours to know. You have your own to call out.

jp