The Tender Plant—Isaiah 53:2

 I walked down the road on this beautiful, sunny, winter morning. The tree branches swayed in the breeze–empty and barren. While I see the green of grass, it's struggling to maintain its vibrance in this cold, dry season. As I look around, I see clear signs of winter—even though we don't often see snow. The squirrels are busy collecting things that have fallen from the trees and lay waiting for their consumption. The deer are on the prowl looking for something to eat and finding alternatives to fresh greenery, plucking dried looking leaves from low shrubbery. While the sun is bright, there is a lack of color.

In just a few weeks, my region of the world will begin to come alive. Buds will form on the trees, shrubbery will begin filling in, and lawns will begin to take on their fresh look of emerald green. Life takes on the colors of green—a deep, pleasing green as plant after plant sprout forth tender, new shoots. These are the thoughts that crowded my mind as I walked this morning, longing for spring and the warmth of sunshine on my face. But what quickly came to mind was another Tender Plant—the One we read of in Isaiah 53:2:

For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, And as a root out of the dry ground (KJV) :

There is something so pleasing about a tender plant—soft, new and fragile. It's most vulnerable in this stage of newness and needs care for it to thrive and grow hearty. To think of our Messiah as this tender plant brought many thoughts to mind. I appreciated this quote from Wayne Jackson for christiancourier.com:

 "a “tender plant,” attempting to survive in “dry ground” seems like an unlikely situation. In reality, however, such was by divine design! The text is intended to emphasize that what appears impossible with men, certainly is not with God."

We can appreciate that our tender plant—Jesus, did in fact thrive and grow and complete the mission God sent Him to accomplish. How about us? As new believers, we also were tender plants—plants that needed intentional nutrients in order for growth, maturity and completing the purpose God has for each of us. Pouring in God's Word, prayer, fellowship with other Christians, using our gifts for the benefit of our local church, humble service and obedience to His leading help us to grow and mature. But I love the thought that while we are growing and maturing, we still want to remain tender—pliable to His molding and shaping.

In my area of the world, August is generally a dry month. The once tender plants of spring are now deprived of water and scorched from the heat of summer. They are no longer a vibrant green, they are more of a yellowish-brown. Brittle to the touch, they easily break from the summertime conditions of the South. I see lessons in this, too—that the pressures and temptations of this world can harden us. While there is goodness to a hearty plant, a plant that is dried up of needed nutrients is on the brink of death. We want to remain rooted in Christ—the only sure way to stay thriving and tender in the harshness of a sinful world. 

Maybe you're also in a place where you're longing for spring. Winter—while it has its own unique beauty—can seem long and at times, dreary. But God is faithful and the seasons will change as they do each year, cycling from spring to summer, then fall and winter. But no matter what life season you may be in, may each of us remain tender—unchanged by the harsh realities of the world. May we, like Jesus, remain rooted in the Father, seeking to complete the mission He has for each of us. May we stay strong and connected, allowing Him to work in us, and through us. And may we enjoy the blessings of each lesson learned—even those that caused us pain. May we be known by others as being tender, faithful, and actively thriving in the work God has for us. 

A Visit to My Past

 Maybe some of you have thought about what you would write in a letter to yourself, should you be able to write one to the young version of you. Would you warn yourself of future mistakes, and tell yourself things to do to avoid them? Would you tell yourself not to worry about all the little things, and instead, focus on the big picture? Or maybe you would tell yourself to listen to the advice of parents, or godly friends who were seeking to lead you to better paths than the one you would choose. Whatever, the case, we all have lived and learned and through our victories and poor decisions, we've become who we are right now. 

I look back at myself as a young girl of eleven, trusting Jesus to be my personal Savior. Skinny legs and bucktoothed and innocent, I was just getting started in life. I was naive, bright-eyed, compliant, and timid. Life is pretty uncomplicated at eleven. Nothing major had shook the foundation of my life. Not death. Not sickness. Not relationship struggles. No financial strains or big decisions to make. No real responsibilities. No—life was easy for me as a little girl. And because of the lack of the pressures of life, my knowledge of Jesus lacked depth. My eleven year old self trusted Him as my Savior, but knew little about Him in a personal way at that time.

Fast forward almost four decades, and I wish I could sit beside that eleven year old girl, and give some advice. It would not include anything about making different decisions as much as it would be about encouraging myself to know that God would walk each wrong one, and each right one, right beside me. I would tell myself that hurt is real. Betrayal is devastating. Sickness can be discouraging. Parenting is tough. Marriage is work. Money can run short. Anxiety is a battle. Death shatters hearts. Bad decisions will be made. But no matter how low you may feel some days, God will make Himself known to you in those low places. I would encourage her in knowing that for the bad seasons that would surely come, there would be so many wonderful seasons—seasons of joy, hope and love. "Don't get discouraged and give up", I'd say.

Stepping away from looking back, I can really look at where I am today. I see how prayer has changed not only me, but circumstances. Over and over again, I've seen it happen. I see how God's Word really is living and active and gives us discernment and help. It's bursting full of wisdom, instruction, encouragement, and hope. On days when my heart was so broken, His Word soothed my wounds. I've heard His voice when I desperately needed to, giving me hope and strength for the moment. He's healed me many times. He intimately cares for me, for my marriage, for my family and my loved ones. His Spirit within me has been the constant that always, always carries me through.

Yes, life would be hard. Life is hard. But without all of the hard stuff, I would not have the opportunity to grow and to really know more of Jesus. And because that isn't best for me, I will have many challenges along the way. These are for my good, and not meant to destroy me or diminish my faith. Some would love to go back and do life differently, and I get it, because mistakes can be painful. Mistakes can hurt others as well as myself. But for me, I can see how all of the hard situations and hurt led me to a better place—they all led me to the arms of Jesus. And the more time I spend there, the more I know Him. The more I know Him, the more I love Him. 

So a message to my eleven year old self would be this:He is real. He is faithful. When everything seems wrong and impossible, that's when you see Him best. You'll learn to know Him, because you always need Him. But if you had an easy road ahead, you'd miss out on so much. You'll always be a work in progress, until the day the Lord calls you home. Keep pushing forward though, knowing it's a race, but that the prize is worth it. You are so loved, and you need His love to see you through. God is using every situation in your experience to make you ultimately aware of His plan for you, and His purpose for your life. So keep going, little one. Be courageous and strong, because He is Your Rock. Lots and lots of love, an older and wiser me.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9, ESV)."

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing (Zephaniah 3:17, ESV).

...And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20b, ESV)."

It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed (Deuteronomy 31:8, ESV)."

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for walking through life with me. It's such a privilege and blessing to know You are with me in all things—whether good or bad. May I remember that the hard seasons drive me closer to You, and without them, my relationship with You would be shallow on my part. Give me Your strength for all that's ahead, and hope that You will carry me through every situation. In Your name I pray, Amen!

God's Purposes in Bad Life Events

     Why does God allow bad things to happen to us? There are so many painful situations we are called to experience in life, and we wonder sometimes- why me? None of us are untouchable, and we all have our painful seasons. I've seen so many that I know, lately, walk through an unexpected tragedy, and it hurts to know they are in their season of pain. But we all have those seasons, some a little more painful than others. 
     Where is God in all of it? Does He plan these things, or does He allow them? How can good come out of something so bad? We know God is good, and He isn't the Creator of evil. When He created the world, He said "and it was good." And it was good, until the fall of Adam and Eve to sin. In that moment, our world was broken, and will remain broken until Christ returns and makes all things new. Our painful seasons are a result of living in a broken world- a world broken by sin. 
     While God is good, and doesn't create the things that cause us to suffer, we do know He will use it for His ultimate good. We often don't see the good in it for quite some time, and sometimes, we won't see it on this side of glory. But scripture tells us that all things work together for good, for those that love the Lord (Romans 8:28). For each painful season I have been called to walk, I have seen good grow out of them. God is faithful to His Word and His promises to us, and while I hurt in those hard times, I can have faith that He will use them for His good purposes. 
     Are you walking through a hard season right now? You may be facing a marital crisis, an illness, an addiction, the death of a loved one- these are hard spots along the road we are traveling. When we are hurting and suffering, God hurts with us, but He also comforts us and offers us His faithful love and healing. If we are christians, our time of suffering is short in light of what awaits us in Heaven. We can take comfort in knowing that what lies ahead, is so much better than what we are living in this broken world. Our painful seasons are seasons- not meant to derail us for life. We can allow them to help us grow in our faith, or allow bitterness to take root. Just as God wants to turn them around and use them for good, we have to allow Him to do it for us. He will use them either way, but I want to come out of the season with a stronger heart for God, trusting Him to transform my pain into something amazing. I've witnessed it in my own life, and I can tell you He is able!

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21:4 ESV
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18 ESV
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 ESV

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for redeeming our pain, and bringing good out of it. Some points along our journey would be almost unbearable without You, and how You will use them for good. Thank You for carrying me through my darkest times, and for preparing a home for me where suffering will no longer touch me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen!

Triggered

     If you have experienced an emotional trauma in life, you likely have triggers that bring it back to mind. It may be a smell, a phrase, a song, or something you see. You may think you have effectively put it away from the forefront of your mind, and when you experience a trigger, it slams its unwelcome presence back to the surface of your brain. We may do our best to try to avoid our triggers, but at some point, we will likely come face to face with one that will unnerve us and cause us to remember. 

     For me, I have quite a few that come to mind. I love music- many different genres. There is an extensive list of country music songs that make me dive for the power button, hoping to never hear them again. And places- I have a list of them that I prefer not to revisit for the memories they evoke. Even seasons can be painful, remembering what was going on during that time when we were in our valley of pain and heartache. 

     You likely have your own triggers, and you know what they are. It's crazy how well we think we are doing, and then a trigger puts us back in our minds to a place we don't want to remember. But the triggers will stay with us, so I have made a plan for what to do with them when they surface- because I know they will. I could choose to let them ruin my day or moment, or I can look at them in a different way. I can see how far I have come from that bad memory, and how God faithfully walked me through the storm. I can remember the family and friends that stepped in and carried my burdens with me. I can see how God used that bad season to make me stronger and more dependent on Him. I can see how He placed people in my life that would need me because I know the pain of that trial- and how their need of me, in turn, helped in my own healing. Yes, I will choose to think of the good that came from those bad moments when I hear that blasted song yet again, or think about that place I don't want to go, ever again. And one day, those memories won't hurt quite so bad. I'll learn to be thankful that God allowed them, knowing it would be a part of my story that would make me softer, more relatable, and overwhelmed at God's ability to make what was intended for evil, more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. 

And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. Deuteronomy 8:2 ESV

Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, Isaiah 46:9 ESV

I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. Psalm 77:11 ESV

I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands. Psalm 143:5 ESV

Dear Heavenly Father, my memory holds some painful experiences, but I pray that You will help me recall Your faithfulness to me through those experiences. You walked me through the darkest parts of my story, and You are there even when I think I don't need You. Lord, I always need You, and I'm thankful You are always there with me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen!