(We welcome younger son, Mark Meyer, back to the “Inside Out” page this week. This story concerns an Ivy League experience at his home in Atlanta before he and Beth moved to Colorado.)

I’ve recently had to do battle with the English ivy in my front yard. I say “battle” because I felt like a knight going off to fight. I suited up in my work boots, heavy pants, long sleeve shirt, gloves hat, and safety glasses. I collected my hatchet, machete, and hedge clippers, then pressed on, into the fray.

You might think of ivy as a harmless, even nice-looking form of ground cover for shady areas. If so, you have made the most serious mistake of underestimating your opponent. The ivy in my front yard managed to grow over ten feet up inside the wall of the upstairs part of my house. This simple vine managed to climb over ten feet up the trunk of a pine tree in my front yard. The main part of that vine was over two inches thick at the base of the tree and I had to use a hatchet to cut through it.

Of course, the ivy didn’t reach this state overnight (unlike kudzu). I had occasionally noticed the vines growing but thought nothing of it. If anything, the greenery was nice to have around. Then a knowledgeable friend pointed out that a large growth of ivy can weaken a tree and a weak tree close to the house might just end up crashing into the house.

This whole experience has reminded me of several spiritual principles. They have run the gamut from “putting on the whole armor of God”, to “the parable of the mustard seed”, and even to “let him who stands take heed lest he fall.” There’s the idea of small sins growing unless we keep constant vigilance. There’s also the warning that even good things can be dangerous if taken to extremes.

These are all good lessons to learn, but for some reason I identify the most with something Jesus did. As you might recall from Matthew 21 and Mark 11, Jesus cursed the fig tree that had no fruit and it withered from the roots. Amen.

(Your responses to Mark’s piece are just as valuable to us as any others. Please drop me an e-mail today and let us know what the Lord says to you through Mark’s stuff. Just click on the “Contact Us” tab at the top of the page.)

– As far as being handicapped in any way, when we are “fishers of men”, we can certainly learn to compensate, as the green heron did. God gives each one of us unique talents, unique opportunities, and unique handicaps that lead us to witness in unique ways. Praise God we are all unique!

– LOVE the story, Jerry. This is what it made me think! May we be as innocent as a child for our Father in Heaven, BUT, shrewd enough to pull those who are lost to Him in a way they will understand.. Your stories are always the best in my mailbox!!!

– One more reminder, now that Easter is over and the Good News is fresh in our hearts. We need to be in the world, but not of it – go where we need to go (the Lord leads me in unlikely places) and be sneaky and clever for a good cause – sneak our Christian attitudes and behaviours into the workplace, cleverly insert Christ’s love into every action – use all our skills to make our message attractive. Like my mom always said – use honey to catch flies. The difference is — we’re hooking people for life, not death!

– I think you are right on target with this story. I often hear fellow Christians say, “God will take care of everything”. Of course He will! But, God also expects us to use the talents he has given us to maximize our benefit to His service. Many use the “God will provide” thing as a copout for not giving 110% to his service. You continually challenge me and help me grow, even after all these years!!! I now average nearly 18 hours a day between my day job and my other endeavours. I have learned to include the family in this, so it is no longer work, but an adventure! Why? God has led us to put (funds) aside for the care of David, our autistic son. There is no lack of faith in that regard. Rather, he has given us the faith to help ourselves to ensure he is cared for, even after we are gone! Praise the Lord and pass the paint brush!

– I just wanted to drop you a line to say I really enjoyed the story (and picture) of the Green Heron! You said you’d like to know what we got out of it well… to me, this is how I look at it! HAHA!!

     It made me check myself and ask myself the question, “Am I just feeding off other people to get what I want?” I thought about the Green Heron and how he took the bread the children threw to him just to lure the fish. He probably thought he was pretty smart, but really, if it weren’t for the children’s bread, he wouldn’t have anything! I think that we are like that with God sometimes. We take the things He’s given us and blessed us with like, talent, houses, cars, wealth, or other things for granted, and we lift ourselves up with these things, but we fail to give God the glory for them! If it weren’t for Him we wouldn’t even be here, much less have all the wonderful things He’s given us! God is so wonderful and has blessed us all!! So, let us all give God the glory!!

– My almost 13 yr. old nephew just read your piece. He thought it was funny that the bird was able to use the bread as bait.

– This one kind of goes along with one of your previous ‘Inside Out’ articles. The bird had a handicap; however, through the usage of his God given talents, was able to overcome the short leg deal by using an observed technique. Pretty cool I thought.

– I really liked the article this week, and found the part about the bird in the beginning really funny! Just thought I’d letcha know 🙂

– Just read your last piece. It is so refreshing to hear from a Christian speaking on nature. I, too, love nature. Because I go to a public college, I often hear quite the opposite. What you talked about most scientists will tell you is survival of the fittest, rather than God’s individually unique creation.

     I like the way you look at it much more. It gives some balance to my life.

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