I saw an amazing and wonderful thing.
I was on a prayer walk, meandering through the heavily wooded trails of Hyland Forest Park near my home. I love to seek still, lonely places when I pray – it helps quiet my mind so I can hear the Lord more clearly. As I walked, I was feeling burdened by some of the circumstances of my own life, against a backdrop of all the troubles and challenges that face all of mankind every day. I think of the Bible verse written by King Solomon: “What a heavy burden God has laid on men!” (Ecclesiastes 1:13)
Many people never get to the next part, they just stop there and sit in the burden or try to forget about it and go on their way. But I have learned, through the years of walking with this ultimately Faithful Friend of mine, that He is “Able to do infinitely more than all I ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). I have learned to seek Him for answers and consolation in the midst of all we have to go through in this temporary life.
I came upon this tree. I was surrounded by hundreds of beautiful evergreen conifer trees – fir trees I think. But this one tree was amazing. It was literally coming out of the ground sideways, then bending straight up towards the sky. It was as tall and massive and straight as any other tree in the forest, but its footing was totally cockeyed! As I stood there studying it, I noticed that the ground on one side gave way to a little depression about 5-feet deep – like a ravine or sinkhole had developed long ago when the tree was just a sapling. Apparently the young tree was able to endure the trauma and thrive in spite of it. I have seen trees growing crooked or bent before, but this was the first fully-matured tree I remember seeing that turned a full 90-degrees! I thought of how fitting this vision was of my life, and the lives of so many people I have known over the years.
God’s Word promises us that He is able to bring good out of every circumstance. Even the most painful experiences we endure can be used by Him to produce good in the world and strength in us. This isn’t just a godless, gooey “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” message, but an affirmation of the scripture in Romans, “…We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” When I was a kid, I believed that following Christ would mean He would take all my problems away and give me a carefree life. The older I get in Him, the more I realize that His power to transform me and bring meaning & hope to my life “is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). It is when we trust Him in our struggles that we are able to grow strong in His upward direction.
