I work in a fairly new building. It has rows of trees adorning its structure. This week a serious storm came through, and when I went to work the next morning, several of these lovely trees had blown down.
I asked the caretaker about them. Here's what he told me. These are native desert trees. They are used to sending down roots deep to find water. But these trees are under human care, and they're being watered. As a result, they don't send their roots down, and it doesn't take much wind to knock down these shallow trees.
Isn't that the way it is with us as well? We like to think that "the perfect world" would be free and easy. No pressures, no suffering, no difficulties. It would appear that God sees things differently. He knows that real growth occurs when we are faced with tough times. Conversely, when life is easy, we rarely grow at all.
Our friend, James, put it this way:
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4).Maybe, just maybe, when tough times come, we can remember that difficulties often bring improvements in our character, give us depth, and we can be grateful rather than upset.
4 comments:
For awhile I lived in the high desert in Southern California. When I would go out and water plants in the yard, I would also water the cactus, desert shrub/tress, etc. Some of them would actually look like they were dying from my care...ouch!
My walk with God was so superficial until my heart was broken beyond human remedy. It would either become better in Christ or bitter through human expression. At first I sought other humans to meet my needs, but they all failed (as I have failed all others too). Only in clinging to Christ, every night wrapping my arms around his feet and letting the warmth of his love comfort me to sleep, did I find growth and empathy for others.
God is so wonderful. His ways are so beyond us, that He had to come to us. Thank you for the reminder of the need for deep roots in Him!
Even the world seems to know "No pain, no gain." And Romans 8:28 is one of my all-time favorite verse.
I was just thinking this very thing last week. Great Minds think alike :)
I read your blog on the rain and roots. Fortunately (for me), I had already "penned" this one, so I wasn't (personally) worried about plagiarism. Interestingly, though, your trees need water to go deep, while ours need a lack of water to go deep. Interesting, isn't it, how creative our Creator is?
Oh, on the "great minds" comment, last night I heard, "Mediocre minds think alike." I'm afraid, in my case, it might be more appropriate. =)
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