Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green: in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17: 7-8
These words from Jeremiah paint a picture of his real-life experiences. He was living in disruptive times that were unlike our times. His life spanned through some troubled times, and he lived in the middle of it. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Every muscle in his body was stretched to the limit by fatigue from the day’s challenges that this world seemed to offer. Every thought in his mind was subjected to questioning. Every feeling in his heart was put through fires of ridicule and the pain of uncertainty.
I suspect that if we are honest, we have all had these experiences at some point. What happens when the things you believe in and live are smashed to bits by the circumstances of life?
A few years ago, during the turbulent times of spring, a terrible storm came through my neighborhood, and one of the many pine trees in my front yard fell into my neighbor’s home. I eventually called for a tree service to come out and look at the remaining trees to see if the rest were stable and, if not, which should be taken down. The foreman told me, “This storm may have been a blessing.” I asked how so, and he said, “You see, a tree that has never been in a storm is dangerous to climb… you can’t trust such a tree because its limbs are not dependable, and the tree’s body is weak. But a storm shakes a tree at its very foundation. When the tree shakes, the ground around the roots loosens, allowing the roots to go deeper. When the roots go deeper, the limbs stretch out, and while the limbs stretch out, the top goes higher and higher.”
Do you know what that means? It seems storms enable trees to grow in three ways simultaneously: deeper, wider, and higher. We all have weathered storms. You and I can’t escape every storm. Yet, the key is how we respond to the storm. Storms in our lives offer opportunities to grow deeper, wider, and stronger. One of the keys to weathering a storm is to secure ourselves a little tighter to the source of our strength. As people of God, we can respond by reaching out with greater intentionality and love to siblings in the faith while simultaneously reaching toward the rock of our salvation, Christ Jesus, and opening ourselves to the nourishment of living water that satisfies our souls, the Holy Spirit. Through this, we live more deeply in grace and embrace hope, which enables us to receive the gift of joy that revives and renews us toward wholeness and peace.
photo credits: Lightstock.com – KevinCarden – id#828147