Lake Powell, AZ
Nowhere
in the Bible is it written that the life of a Christian will be easy. Instead,
we are told the Christian will suffer as Christ suffered. Meaning, storms of
life will come and go and leave their marks on us as they do the unbeliever.
I remember last October, after my sister passed away
from cancer, I had registered to run a half marathon at Lake Powell. I wasn’t
sure if we should still go so soon after my sister’s death, but we both knew my
sister would want our lives to go on. As my husband and I were driving toward Page,
AZ, for a half marathon race, we could see storm clouds gathering above the
city. It’s hard enough to run a half marathon, but to run in the rain and wind
makes it even harder! I could feel the fear and trepidation building inside me.
We tend to fear storms because we’ve all experienced
them: literally and figuratively. We know how dangerous storms can be. All of
us would love to live a life without storms, but what would that life look
like?
Years ago, in Tucson, Arizona, scientists built the
Biodome: A place where scientists could live and work in a perfect environment.
They had perfect air, water, and soil to grow perfect food. They even made a
simulated ocean! There within the Biodome, these scientists could study the
effects of a perfect environment in hopes of replicating it in life.
After a while of living in this perfect environment,
however, these scientists noticed something shocking: the trees they grew were
dying. They were simply falling over dead at a young age. Concerned, they took
samples of the air, water, and soil to try and figure out what was causing the
deaths of these perfectly healthy trees.
All their tests showed nothing was wrong with the
water, air, or soil. Perplexed, the scientists had no idea what was causing the
deaths of the trees, until one day the answer came to them: No wind.
You see, there was no wind inside this “perfect”
environment, but trees need wind. As a young tree grows, the wind beats against
the trunk causing the roots to dig in deeper and the trunk grows stronger after
each storm. Without those strong winds of a storm, the young trees did not
become stronger. Instead, they became weaker and fell over.
We
might desire to live in a “perfect” environment (a life without storms…) but by
studying God’s creation, we can see that a life without storms makes us weaker.
I thought about this life lesson as we approached
Page, AZ. I knew I could run the race in the rain, but it wouldn’t be easy. The
morning of the race proved to be beautiful with the sun rising through the
thick storm clouds. It only sprinkled on us as we ran.
Later that night came the rain, wind, and lightning.
But we watched it from a safe haven inside our hotel room. It was a beautiful
sight!
I have endured many storms in life. Recently, my whole
family endured that hurricane called “cancer.” We endured for a year alongside
our sister, mother, aunt, daughter, and friend: Tammie. Watching someone you love die a slow painful
death isn’t easy. You feel helpless and hopeless. You walk away from that storm
forever marked…forever changed.
But, after the rain and wind departs, the skies are
clearer, the sun shines brighter, and the new day is remarkable. You walk away a
stronger person for having endured the storms.
The good shepherd knows how to handle the storm. He
gathers his sheep and provides a shelter. During the storm, he watches the
sheep to make sure none wander off and fall into a raging river or off a cliff
to their deaths. He keeps a vigilant watch all through the night. And in the
morning, he counts his sheep to see if any are lost. If any are gone, he
searches for them and returns them to the fold. He binds their wounds and heals
them.
So, never fear the storms of life. They come to make
you stronger. The rain makes you grow and the winds make you stand firm. Praise God you have the Good Shepherd who
will remain with you throughout the storms. He will never leave you nor forsake
you. There is purpose in everything He
does.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down
his life for the sheep.” John 10:11
“As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his
sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue
them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and
thick darkness.” Ezekiel 34:12
Blessings,
Ruth
