After the storm…
According to the calendar, it is Spring! This past week lived up to the name. We’ve had sunny days in the seventies, birds singing a joyous chorus, weeds growing with prolific arrogance, while bees and bugs bite and buzz according to their calling.
Spring flowers display their glory with pride. This week my Phlox opened their tiny blossoms to make a pink carpet of beauty.
Another sign of Spring? Thunderstorms!
The picture above of my flowers was taken two days ago. I made the photo below yesterday–after a severe thunderstorm pummeled the same flowers.
The storms of life sometimes affect us much the same. We feel broken, battered, and bruised. We question if we can recover. We don’t know where to find the strength to keep going.
Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:1-2
But God…
God is there to hear our cry for help, to soothe our aching heart, to heal our bruised spirit. Our God supports us as we crawl forward from where we have fallen. He lifts us to try again–to keep going. We learn from the brokenness and become stronger in our faith.
The Apostle Paul writes:
We glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:3-6
This week we remember the “storm” which Jesus faced on His journey to the cross. We recall the pain and suffering He experienced as He followed His Father’s will and accepted our sins upon Himself. We recognize the greatest gift of love humankind has ever received.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17
Jesus died for us.
Sunshine and dry weather will help my flowers recover some of their former glory, but not long after, their blooms will fade and die. They will return to the earth in hopes of another opportunity next year to display their glory.
But those of us who accept the sacrifice our Lord gives us and recognize Him as our Lord and Savior, will have eternal life with Him when our time on Earth is complete.
Oh, your poor flowers. But I know how they feel. Yes sometimes the storms of life can make us feel beaten and battered. But God! Just like those flowers will come back and perk up, God resurrects us to new life and those storms cannot defeat us.
What a great example.
Yes, we sometimes feel as battered as my flowers after a trial or storm zaps us. I’m happy to report that those tough little Phlox flowers look MUCH better today after healing sunshine helped them lift their blossoms back toward the light. Thank you, Barbara, for your words of assurance.
What a hopeful message you share here, Katherine. Although the storms of life assail us, God is faithful to sustain us and teach us even when we observe rain-bent flowers.
Yes, Jeannie, we are so blessed to serve a God that is always faithful. People may fail us, but our God is trustworthy and dependable. My sad flowers look much better today. They were grateful for the sunshine–just as we are so blessed by the Light of our Lord. Wishing you a blessed week.
Storms in my life right now. We were hit hard by too much rain in our area. And my little family was already struggling physically. I can so relate to feeling a bit knocked down. On the other hand, I remain hopeful that the Lord willllift us up in due time!
Loretta, I’m so sorry that your family is facing storms right now. I prayed for you and your family as soon as I read your message. You are right, our Lord will lift you up and rescue you from the storm. He will also be with you through it. Please let me know if you want me to pray for a specific need. I pray God will bless you and your family through these times of trial and storm.
Thank you, Katherine, for reminding us God gave us the living hope through Christ’s resurrection.
As we anticipate the significance of this week in our walk of faith, we remember the great sacrifice our Lord made for us–and most especially, the depth of His love for us–even as we know we are unworthy of the gift. Wishing you a blessed Easter, my friend.
As I read your post, I could hear the rain pouring outside my window as we welcome yet another stormy day, and I was reminded of the life storms I have faced. And yes, the Lord Jesus sustained me through them all. Knowing this reassures me about the future storms I will face. And that brings me peace.
You emphasize a really important point, Candyce. Two, actually–God is always with us through the storms AND there will be more storms. That would be a daunting future except for the the truth of the first statement–God is ALWAYS with us. Thank you reminding us of God’s faithfulness. Wishing you a blessed Easter.
A beautiful picture from your garden of the storms in our lives, but especially the storm Jesus faced for us! Thank you for your encouraging insights, Katherine!
I receive multiple gifts from my little farm. There’s so much beauty in creation. The animals teach me lessons each day. I gain much needed stress relief from digging in the dirt and pulling weeds. And one of the most important–nature is resilient, just as our Lord is. Jesus faced the His biggest storm with strength, courage, and faith and He provides us with the greatest of gifts–love and salvation. We are so blessed, aren’t we?
Thanks for the encouragement to move past the storm to focus on the good that came at Jesus’ resurrection!
As humans, I think we have the tendency to focus on the negative, to look for the worst in every situation. But the courage and perseverance shown by Jesus as He endured the humility of His arrest, beatings, and scorn, culminating in the torture of crucifixion, reminds us that the greatest of trials can lead to wondrous gifts.
I love the metaphor you show here. I expect those flowers will rebound. Nature’s destruction seems so permanent. Just like Jesus’ death appeared to be. Wonderful encouragement here!
You are right, Nancy. Those lovely little flowers recovered after a day of sunshine. And to further show their resilience, they bounced back again from another storm two days ago. God created us to recover from storms, too, and even better–He is with us both through the storm and on our path to healing. Wishing you a blessed Easter.
Such beauty and then… thanks for your post. God does hear our cries (we are on the same wavelength again this week). And He meets us at our place of need.
Yes, Jeanne, I agree. God is with us through the storms and during our recovery. He even carries us through if the burden becomes too great and we stumble. My tough little flowers went through another storm this week, were beat down into the dirt, but following a day of sunshine, perked up again. So thankful God lifts us up following those storms of life. Hope your Easter is blessed.
What a beautiful post Ms. Katherine. I somehow think that when God helps us through the storms in our lives, we come out the other side even stronger and more beautiful than we were before. Perhaps sometimes we need the storms to wash away that tough, hard-to-clean crud that sin can leave on our souls. Happy Easter ma’am.
I agree, my friend, God is with us through those storms and when we come through them, we are stronger. Probably more beautiful in His eyes, too (we often don’t consider ourselves very beautiful, do we?). I know you will join me in trying to remember Easter all year. He who washes us clean and scrubs the crud away, is with us every step.