I love having a day free of obligations—no grocery runs, errands, or even volunteering on my agenda. A full free day allows me to recharge creatively and enjoy God's world at my pace.
My day often begins with an early walk/jog. For people who sunburn easily like me, getting out before the sun gets too high in the Georgia summer sky is a must. The early morning sun rejuvenates me and helps me wake up. Reaching my fitness goal before breakfast is an even bigger motivator to let the day unfold naturally. Peacefully.
A slew of summer storms recently brought damaging lightning and wind to my area. During my morning walk, I discovered a tall, healthy tree had fallen and blocked one of the park paths. Nature's power fascinates me, so I took a closer look at the tree's trunk.
Like the plotline and protagonist I've been pondering for my current book project, all was not as healthy as it appeared. The green leaves on the tree's exterior masked the damage inside the tree. The lightning exposed holes from some sort of borer beetle. These pests chew through healthy trees and slowly kill them from the inside out. The lightning provided the final push, cracking all down through the tree's weak point, but the tree would have withered anyway.
Like both fictional characters and real people, a world of pain existed underneath the tree's thriving exterior.
People harbor grudges, guilt, and a plethora of other secrets. For many, a prim exterior creates the perfect barrier. As long as no one asks certain questions or gets too close, the inner gunk festers inside us.
Trees can't change mental or physical direction. Once a pest like a borer beetle cracks the tree's tough exterior, lays eggs and multiplies, the tree often can't survive without help. I remember my parents treating the pine trees in our backyard for pine beetles. They injected the bottom of the tree with some sort of solution that didn't hurt the tree but deterred or killed the pine beetles.
After my walk, I was pondering the connection: how past struggles, self-deprecating thoughts, and bad habits are similar to infestations. As a human, I'm capable of rewiring my thought patterns and changing behaviors and locations. I can own up to my wrongs and remove hurtful language from my vocabulary. It's my choice to let an "infestation" in or repel it. I can flee from temptation or embrace it and deal with consequences. This push and pull also fascinates me. Finding out why my fictional characters do what they do helps me shape them.
And not just them. Since I often lean into my own experiences while writing, the process allows me to examine myself.
Have I truly broken that bad habit or did I just mask it?
Is my current routine as healthy as I believe, or does it hurt someone around me?
Do my thoughts help me succeed or hinder my progress?
Are my words genuinely kind, or does jealousy or judgment secretly rot me from the inside?
The deeper I go, more frightening questions emerge. It's fun to examine these angles through a fictional character. But what about me?
As someone who strives to reflect the light of Jesus on others, I can easily fall into negative thought patterns. I want to produce all the fruits of the spirit and lift other people up as much as possible. At the end of the day, I don't always know if I succeeded or if I missed opportunities due to selfish habits. It can be exhausting. Resentment hovers on the surface, looking for ways to turn my insides dark.
Which is why I need to walk early and often.
Nature and fresh air renew me, bringing me closer to God. The rising sun reminds me that I have been blessed with a new day—a day where I can do my best again. Mistakes are part of growing. I may need more grace one day or have to apologize to someone on another, but I'm still moving forward. If I can get my fictional characters where they need to be, I can apply similar tactics to navigate real life and all its troubles.
Identifying and purging "infestations" is an arduous task for everyone. For me, I can look back at the progress I've made and know it's worth it. If I can learn from a fictional character or two, all the better. Why can't I grow right along my characters? If that means learning, or even re-learning hard lessons, it's still progress toward a more fulfilling life.
Keep on smilin'!
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