Green Leaves

Jeremiah 17:7-8: "Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose CONFIDENCE is in Him.  They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when the heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."


When I consider my life, where I have been, where I have gone, and what I have done, I see several seasons.  There have been seasons of growth; incredible growth that has brought me closer to my Savior, my Redeemer, my Friend.  There have been seasons of rejuvenation, where I have felt new and knew that there was transformation in my heart and in my life. I saw God work in and through me so clearly in those times. Throughout my short time here on Earth, I have felt lost in seasons of incredible drought.  In those times I was left searching, seeking, and often feeling helpless and alone.  There have been seasons of scorching heat, when everything felt overwhelming, where I felt as if my life was going in slow motion and I was just sitting in the background, looking at life unfold ahead of my eyes. 


When I think about my life as a daughter of the most High God seeking to grow closer to Him each day, it is easy to look at Jeremiah 17:7-8 and say, "sure! I will have no worries when the droughts come.  I will continue to bear fruit and be a cheerful follower of Christ when suffering comes.  I will have complete confidence in the Lord and will look to Him and not wither and fade."  However, often in times of drought or sadness or stress... I cease to bear fruit.  The green leaves of my life wither.  They turn crispy and brown.  They crinkle and begin to blow in the wind. They fall away from the Tree of Life.  


God has been teaching to have full CONFIDENCE in Him.  To trust Him in seasons of drought.  It is a hard lesson to learn.  And it does not come quickly.  Daily I have to ask for forgiveness for not trusting God and not having CONFIDENCE in His truth. As God continues to lead me throughout life, He is the one that gives me life.  He is the one that satisfies, that fills, that rejuvenates.  Through the Holy Spirit, I can bear fruit in every season of my life.  


As God continues to lead me through life, whether it be here on campus, at home, or in Africa next fall, I hope to have green leaves; leaves that will never wither and turn brown and fall away from their source of Life; leaves that will bear fruit because they are nurtured and loved by the God of the universe; leaves that will bring the love of Christ to others.


"Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on the banks of the river.  Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail.  Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them.  Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing."  
 Exekiel 47:12  

Cotton Balls in the Sky

Last summer, about 3 days after I returned from my month long trip to Ghana, West Africa, I found myself laying under a sky filled with strange looking clouds....clouds that looked like cotton balls.  While I was away in Africa, numerous tornadoes had ripped through the area surrounding my home, leaving many homes destroyed.  The tornado siren sounded again that day in the distance-- a warning to get inside, to go somewhere safe.....
....so of course, my siblings and I went outside and crossed the bright green grass and headed out behind the barn by the garden that was teeming with vegetables.  Carl, Laura, Caleb and I lay underneath the cotton ball clouds and looked up at the sky.  The darkening sky overhead started to rumble, and spidering lightening began to peek out from underneath the cotton ball clouds.  The wind began to pick up and some hay from the cows feed trough sprinkled our faces as we stared up at the light show in the sky.
At that moment, we were not afraid.  We knew that a tornado was very possible.  Carl, Lo, and Clabe had just seen the destruction that had happened all around us in the previous week.  Instead, we lay under the ominous sky and marveled at the power and majesty of our Heavenly Father.  A Creator and God who holds the whole world in the palm of His hands.  A God who knows each one of us and who has a beautiful plan for our lives.  We stared at the sky and knew that God was bigger than the storm that was about to come.  We looked at the lightening flashing across the sky and saw that God's Love and Truth shine even brighter than the beams overhead.  We felt the wind move against our faces and felt Gods presence, His comfort, His might. We prayed to God, asking that He would keep us safe.  That He would protect our family and our farm.  We prayed with confidence and boldness, knowing with full assurance that the God who knows us and created us and loves us had power over this storm.
I forget so easily how powerful the God I serve is.  I am so quick to try and fix problems on my own, so quick to give in and let stress and fear and uncertainty plague my thoughts and my decision making. I want to lie underneath a cotton ball sky every day and marvel at God's might.  His sovereignty.  His comfort.  His presence.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
Deuteronomy 31:6