There's just not a lot going on today....it's raining outside and just seems rather gloomy. It's just one of those days that I seem to get depressed from just looking out the window. Not a hint of sunshine, just rainy, damp and univiting. Makes me wish for a beautiful, warm and sunny day. But the thing is, everything had gotten rather dry from so many beautiful sunny days. The grass was dying and the plants in the garden looked rather wilted. They needed the rain, God's refreshing rain from above that gives the grass new life, something to draw strength from. So as I sit here looking out the window, it doesn't look very pretty right now, but I know that when the sun starts shining again, tomorrow, two days from now, or whenever that may be, that everything is going to be greener. The grass is going to grow, and the plants in the garden will grow stronger and produce more fruit.
As I sit here thinking about all of this....I think that perhaps that is the way it is with us as Christians. It's a beautiful day in our lives, the sun is
shining...everything is just going well. And then a storm comes, maybe it's just a light rain, something thats just inconvienent, but then it may be a thunderstorm, the sky is dark, the thunder crashes and the rain is coming down in torrents. The trial is hard and it feels like the rain is beating us down. We almost begin to lose hope in the midst of the storm. We must keep our eyes focused on Christ, and when the storm passes, and the clouds begin to lift, we'll pick up the branches that were broken by the wind. It may seem by just looking around us that nothing good could come out of this hardship, our leaves are scattered on the ground and it's hard to pick ourselves up and continue on. But by God's grace we can, and as the days go by, and we continue to trust in our Sovreign Lord, we look around us and see the sun is shining again , the grass is greener, and there is new growth on the trees. We finally begin to realize that though the storm was hard, God is working something beautiful in our lives through it.
And so with strengthened faith we continue on....and by God's grace we can thank him for the rain.
6 comments:
Wow! Perfect picture!!!!! Thank you for sharing that, it was very encouraging! I think I'll print it off and stick it in my journal! Something else about the storms too is that the rain, though it beats hard upon us, washes us clean, and like you said, brings life!
( : Smilin' in the Storm : )
Wonderful insights, Bethany! Thanks for sharing!
Hannah
What a beautiful and inspiring post, Bethany! What I've heard called, thought-provoking. :) I really impressed me. Thanks for sharing!
Besh! Thanks so very much for posting this! I'm so glad Mom and I convinced you to put it on your blog! :) See, I said that you could write just beautifully! :)
Love ya~
Anna
Thanks Bethany!! Very good analogy.
Look forward to seeing ya'll on Thursday!!! Love, Abbie
I thought of your post when I saw this hymn:
As above the darkest storm cloud
Shines the sun, serenely bright
Waiting to restore to nature
All the glory of his light,
So, behind each cloud of sorrow,
So, in each affliction, stands,
Hid, an angel, with a blessing
From the Father in his hand.
As without the tempest, pouring
O’er the earth the welcome rain,
All were but a fruitless desert,
Barren sand for ripen’ng grain,
So if ne’er a cloud of sadness
Veiled the sunshine of the soul,
If affliction’s waves were never
Suffered o’er the heart to roll.
Love and faith might fail forever
To bring forth their fruits of peace;
Heaven’s good seed of truth would perish
In a thorny wilderness.
So, with cloud and storm and tempest
Grows our earthly summer dim,
That the rebel heart, our Father
Thus may win to turn to Him.
You can see this hymn and the music that goes with it here: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/a/aadraclo.htm
~Eliya
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