How many times have we been in a situation where we cannot see how any good whatsoever can come of it? How many times has a door closed on an opportunity that felt so right? How many times has it felt like God has changed His mind when the answer seemed so clearly a "yes?" I can name at least six or more in the last five years, two being in the last three months. These are the situations that often leave us feeling desolate, hopeless, and afraid. Because we are so torn apart, we have no way of seeing how these situations can eventually turn out beautiful. We find it almost impossible to wait for God's timing, and nearly fail to realize what God is doing underneath the surface. But from the ashes of those fallen dreams, God is creating something elusive and captivating...if we are willing to persevere and trust Him.
When Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, it created devastation...and a wasteland in what was once known as the most lush and beautiful place of Washington. Spirit Lake was completely filled with volcanic mud; fifteen square miles of trees were reduced to what looked like fallen down toothpicks; a combination of ash, rock and mud covered the earth for miles and miles, and killed all the surrounding wildlife. When I got to visit Johnston Ridge Observatory in 2001-twenty one years after the eruption- the area still looks like a wasteland. Nearly three miles from the foot of the volcano, you can see just about every square inch of ground. It is barren. It is a wasteland. It is dead. But this is only to an observer who does not look at the area around them. We were taking a walk on one of the trails, and all along on the sides, there are these tiny little flowers just starting to break through the earth. Twenty-one years of devastation! Yet, there is still new growth surfacing all over the ground. There are tiny trees beginning to grow again, but ever so slowly. And this new growth is beautiful; the bright colors among all the grayness of the devastation, the simple color of the tiniest flower is brilliant. It could take hundreds of years to get anywhere near what it once was, but God is making it happen, and creating something new from something that was destroyed.
Now think about this; we have experienced something horrible, something that shattered our dreams, or God said "no" to an opportunity that seemed right in so many ways. Our first reaction is to mourn the death of this thing, whatever it may be. We cry, we get angry, we can't see how on earth we could have hoped for this, or we blame God for ruining our lives. But what if we looked past what once was and begin looking forward on what could be? What is God doing in your life through all these things? They may not be enjoyable, but they could bring you unfathomable joy. It may take a long time, but God will never put any of us through a) more than we can handle, and b) something that is not for our own good. But we can only see these things if we're willing to persevere and allow Him to work in us at those times.
When these things happen, which they always will, one of our first instincts is to simply close our hearts up and not let anything or anyone in. Ultimately, even if your not intending to do this, your denying access of your heart to God. Scary, huh? When we need Him the most, we tend to shut Him out the most. It's definitely not easy, but if you let God in and allow Him to sculpt your life and character from the ashes of whatever has happened in your life, He will create something glorious and captivating. The road may not be easy- actually, that's an understatement. The road will NOT be easy, but it will be worth it if your willing to struggle through it and keep faith that God knows what He's doing. After all, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" -1 Corinthians 2:9
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