I remember months ago, one of my spiritual mentors said that my job is to stand right now. To stand firm in truth, to stand in God's love, to not let the winds knock me down. She warned me that this task would be hard enough.Lately I've been thinking about a tree that I once read about - I think it is called the Jerusalem Tree. Anyways, I was struck at the time I was doing research about the strength of the roots of this tree and how it provides a good analogy to standing as a Christian. I love the passage in Jeremiah 17:7-8:
But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.
I love that image.... that trusting and loving God is really true strength and when one is rooted in God, there is no fear when the heat comes. There are no worries in the midst of difficult times. And that no matter what comes your way, one continues to bear fruit.
So I will stand, with God's help. As hard as it is. That is my task. To stand and trust in the one who lifts me up and holds me.
1 comment:
Your analogy of a tree made me think of a tree I once saw in South America. It was so large and so heavy that someone had had to put crutches under its branches so that it could remain standing. You are much like that tree, Strength of the Absurd: your burden is extremely heavy, so heavy that it is often difficult for you to remain standing. As you cope with this burden, God will certainly support you. But remember: God often appears in the hands and faces of the friends and family who love and care for you. We will hold you up even when you can no longer hold yourself.
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