Saturday, January 5, 2019

Busy as a Beaver: What trail of evidence are you leaving?


“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

“See that?” my father gestured toward a tree trunk sharpened like the tip of a pencil, then toward another limb gnawed on both sides.



It sure looked like evidence of beaver building to me. Then Dad led the group of us family members to the water’s edge, its level higher than I had seen in a while. He pointed to the dam.

I took in the scene, my eyes scanning the glassy surface, punctuated with a mound of limbs and leaves, my ears tuned to the relaxing fall of the water. Peace washed over me. A nice reprieve from the busyness of life.


Drawn closer, I stepped to the edge and followed the flow of the stream, my feet crunching dry leaves and crackly twigs. Keeping watch for obstacles that could cause a stumble, I caught glance of a trail of wood chips leading to the chewed remains of a branch. I lowered my eyes to inspect the pile, marveling at the work of the creatures. The evidence was all around; the beavers had built a home. And I was standing in their domicile.

I looked back toward the pond and noticed a large ball resting on the top of the dam. I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of the beavers taking a break from their busyness to play a joyful game of catch.


But another thought also struck me. Do I too leave a trail of evidence of my building? How do others feel when they stand in my presence?

It was clear that the beavers used a foundation of wood to build their home. Is it clear what I have used?

Most of us are familiar with Jesus’s Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders, in which He explains, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24).

I strive to build my house on the rock by following Jesus and applying His word, but do others know it? What is the evidence?

Jesus says, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).

Loving, especially the unlovable, points others to Jesus.

Paul reinforces this in his letter to the Galatians, listing love as the first fruit of the Spirit:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Conducting our lives so as to produce these nine fruits of the Spirit is like leaving a wood chip trail of evidence.

Others are watching our actions and listening to our speech.

So let us pray like King David: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).

Let us give ourselves wholly to the tasks God has given us, being good stewards of His gifts.

“Practice these things; be committed to them, so that your progress may be evident to all. Pay close attention to your life and your teaching; persevere in these things, for by doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:15-16).

Let us do as Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

In all these ways, we leave a trail of evidence that the Lord is our foundation and our home is built on Him. When we are diligent in these matters, others will be drawn to our joy and step a little closer to inspect.

Dear Jesus, You are my rock and my redeemer. Help me in building my life on You, putting into practice what You have taught me in Your word. Help me to love others just as You have loved me. May my life leave a trail of evidence that points to You, so You may gesture and say, “See that? Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23). Amen.

6 comments:

  1. Desiree, this is an excellent illustration of how our lives affect others' lives. It all boils down to loving others with the love of Jesus. I remember hearing a story on Focus On the Family that demonstrates this.

    A woman was one of the higher-ups in the National Organization for Women (N.O.W.). This woman stood for all the things that her Christian friend abhorred. Yet, instead of judging and shaming this woman, this Christian continued to love her friend for who she was (not for what she did).

    In time, this feminist, pro-choice woman came to know Christ as her Savior. When asked why she would abandon all that she believed in to follow Jesus, she gave a poignant answer. "You know," she said, "It wasn't the protesters and the pictures of aborted fetuses that turned me around. It was the consistent love of this Christian friend that made all the difference."

    That should serve as an example to us all. You do well, Desiree, to point our that "Others are watching our actions and listening to our speech." John basically said the same thing when he wrote, "Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth (1 John 3:18)." May our lives truly be lived in such a way that they leave a trail of evidence leading to Jesus.

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  2. Thank you, Joe, for sharing this story and your insights as well. I appreciate you!

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  3. I wish my trail always mirrored Jesus, but I have my flaws. Thank God for do-overs. Lord, remind us all of progress, not perfection.

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    1. I know what you mean, Carla. I too am grateful for do-overs and His overwhelming grace.

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  4. Dear Desiree,

    I commented on your devotional last year and feel compelled to respond to it this year as well.

    One line in particular caught my attention: "Let us give ourselves wholly to the tasks God has given us, being good stewards of His gifts." The joy that God gives me in doing this is beyond description!

    When I was in college, the Lord opened a door for me to volunteer at The Los Angeles Free Clinic. I was trained there to be a dental assistant. The clinic only took patients who were in pain and 9 out of 10 times, the dentist could get them comfortable with just a single injection! Even though the clinic was not faith-based, as a young believer, I could see the potential for ministry. "What if there was a clinic that was unashamedly evangelical provide services like these?" I thought. The thought of such a thing has remained with me for over 40 years!

    Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Little did I know how God would fulfill His vision and plan for me!

    The Lamb Center, a daytime drop-in center for the homeless, was first opened in 1992. It started off as an office above a pawn shop in Fairfax City with a box of donuts and a hotplate for coffee. The Center eventually expanded into a two-story building which cost $4.5 million to build. By God's grace, they were able to build it DEBT-FREE! For some reason, someone (not me!) decided that it should have a dental clinic!

    So, the vision for an "unashamedly evangelical" clinic has come to pass through little effort of my own. One Saturday morning a month finds me upstairs in The Lamb Center, providing free dental care to the indigent population of Fairfax. Just this past weekend, a patient remarked, "Boy, it sure is nice of you folks to do this kind of thing." "Well," I replied, "It is the love of Jesus Christ that has made a difference in our lives and He can do the same for you as well." What unspeakable joy God gives us in serving Him!

    Shortly before being killed by the Auca indians in 1956, missionary pilot Nate Saint wrote, "Lord, God, speak to my own heart and give me to know thy holy will and the joy of walking in it. Amen." May that be the prayer of each of us as well.

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    1. So beautiful, Joe! What a difference you are making in the lives of others! Thank you for sharing your testimony.

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