Power to Take Down My Tree and Remake my World

Ever since we moved into our house 9 years ago we have had an ancient apple tree in the center of our backyard. Every other year it would shower our yard with apples. The deer in our neighborhood loved it and would gather in the dusk for the sweet treats late summer and early Fall. Three nights ago we came home around 10pm. It had been a stormy evening and we looked outside to see that our apple tree had split into 3 sections and lay sprawled on the ground mortally wounded. The next morning I went out to inspect what had happened. There was no sign of a lightening strike. The giant sections lay in silence, tiny little apples thrown around the tree like popcorn. I was struck by the power and the strength of the tree. It looked bigger and broader on the ground then when it was standing. Whatever took it out was strong? If not lightening then what? Had I missed the marauding band of elephants? I looked into the middle of the tree and saw the culprit. The very core of the tree had been eaten out. The enemy stronger than my ancient apple tree was tiny but the enemy was many. I thought about all the lessons to be learned. I could talk about how sin can rot a life from the inside even while the outside looks fine and productive. But I decided to think on the might of the tiny and the amazing amount the many can do over time. I am thinking of the body of Christ. So many of us living and working in the belly of the beast. Oh, what impact we can make working together. The vision of the church spreading out thousands strong, changing the world one neighborhood at a time has invaded my consciousness and will not let go. So, I look at my tree broken beyond repair and I think of the Gospel and the world and the church and I think of all God can do with little people like us. Glory! Now, someone lend me a chainsaw because I also see a load of firewood.