Barnacle Attachments
Recently, Pilot and I went camping at the beach. Multiple times each day we walked the shoreline in search of seashell treasures.
During our trip, one thing that fascinated me in my search for shells was the barnacles that attached themselves to various objects. Shells. Wood. Rock. Seaweed. You name it. Barnacles were attached to it.
Barnacles
After we returned home, I researched barnacles. This interesting information is what I came up with, courtesy of the National Maritime Historical Society.
- A barnacle is a marine crustacean with an external shell which attaches itself permanently to a variety of surfaces.
- Barnacles turn upside down and catch food with their feet.
- They float around as plankton, then decide where to spend the rest of their life.
- Barnacles are fragile and squishy until they build a shell.
- They spend most of their time in the water.
- To keep from drifting all over the place, they attach to another object with a powerful, waterproof glue. NOAA says this fast-curing cement that is among the most powerful natural glues known, is so strong, researchers are trying to figure out how it can be used commercially.
Barnacles and Humans
- Although humans are not marine crustaceans, sometimes we do form an external shell. Whether that shell is to protect or avoid, if we aren’t careful, we could end up attaching our self to the wrong people or things.
- While I do not know of many humans who turn themselves upside down and catch food with their feet, I do know we humans have a tendency to put ourselves in situations that turn us topsy-turvy and upside down.
- Some of us may spend a lot of time merely floating around, with no real purpose or intention.
- Humans are fragile creatures. We do not like to be hurt. At least, this human doesn’t. That’s where building a hard shell around us often comes in.
- Humans do not spend the majority of our time in the water, although we can make unwise choices that put us in over our heads.
- Humans do not have a super powerful natural glue to keep us from drifting all over the place. We have something better.
Superior
So what is our super powerful, superior glue that keeps us from drifting? Jesus.
The author of the Book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus Christ is superior to all other persons. He is superior to angels, Moses, and every other human mentioned in the Bible.
Jesus is our Superior High Priest. He stands before the Father on our behalf pleading our case daily. It is through Christ that we have access to God. Jesus is the Superior Sacrifice. The Lamb that was slain for the sins of humans. No other sacrifice is needed.
In the Book of John, Jesus tells us he is the Vine. Apart from him, we can do absolutely nothing.
Jesus is the One we need to attach our self to. He is the one who protects us like a shield about us.
Jesus is the One who can right our upside down world. He brings peace out of chaos.
There is meaning and purpose in a relationship with Jesus. With him, there is no reason to bounce from one thing to the other.
Jesus is our Comforter. He holds us close when the world presses in and hurts us.
His arms are always open to us. Even when we’ve gotten into things we shouldn’t, and find our self over our head. There is no condemnation in Christ’s love. Only mercy and grace.
Your Turn
Instead of attaching our self to whatever happens to float by at the moment like a crusty barnacle, letting whatever we attached our self to decide where we end up, let’s attach our self to the Resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ, LORD and King. The True and Living Vine. Without him, we can do nothing.
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Take care to live in me, and let me live in you. For a branch can’t produce fruit when severed from the vine. Nor can you be fruitful apart from me.
“Yes, I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in me and I in him shall produce a large crop of fruit. For apart from me you can’t do a thing. John 15:4-5 TLB
I wish you well.
Sandy
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