Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
The skies darkened and the thunder rumbled as a summer storm brewed. A long with the storm came the wind, pruning dead limbs from trees and trashing the road with green debris. I appreciated the water for my garden and the clean smell of washed air. Then I saw my corn. Nearly waist high, flattened by the winds. There was nothing I could do but pray and wait. It took several days, but the warm sun drew the corn back up straight, taller and greener and stronger than before the storm.
Storms in our lives can look scary. They can appear devastating, but they can also make us stronger, more effective. It was the sun that helped my corn get back up and grow again. Without the water it would have shriveled and died. It took both to make the corn bear its ears of sweetness. It takes storms in our lives and the Son to pull us through, to make us grow into fruitful Christians. Fruit that allows the world to see the goodness of God.
What storms has the Lord brought you through?
How have they made you a stronger Christian, a stronger witness?
There are different types of storms that hit the natural world. Some are rain. Some are fire, like the fires that hit our mountains last fall. We take the rain for granted, they help things grow, but what about the lightning and wildfires? Do they help the environment as well?
Try a little detective work this week.
Can you find a tree struck by lightning? Is the tree still alive? Has the tree found a new purpose?
Can you find a sweet gum tree that has been through a fire? How has the fire changed that tree?
What other clues of disasters can you find in your neighborhood or in your travels this week? What did you learn about the storms affects on the environment?
Next week, I'll share what I found in my backyard. I'd love to hear about your discoveries.
