There is hope.
Last month, Post-Tropical Storm Arthur hit us hard in southwest Nova Scotia, as well as many other places in the Maritimes. Many trees were down, many lost power for a long time, and there was a lot of damage. What suffered most on Cape Sable Island where I live was the trees. The maples and chestnuts that line the main road may have stood tall during the storm, but the effects were noticed days later. The leaves died.
Trees need leaves to make food. It’s called photosynthesis, and plants use the sun to make food. I was really worried that if the trees lost their leaves before summer really kicked in, they would starve, and there would be many dead trees next year.
Sometimes we can stand up and remain strong under what happens to us today, but as time wears on, it begins to beat us down. The loss of a loved one will finally sink in much later, and we will feel the sorrow and loss that we may not have felt when it first happened.
There is a bright side, though. Some of the leaves have begun to come back, and the difference is striking. A few patches of green life in a mass of brown death. That gives me hope.
Years in the future, when that tree comes down and someone looks at the rings in the trunk, there will be a narrow ring for 2014, indicating a difficult year. We can all look back on our lives and see seasons of pain and loss.
Still, we are not without hope. We have moved on into a new normal. We do not have to remain victims of what happened to us. Trees with no brains or emotions can move on and grow again – we can choose the same.
This morning, as I am writing this, the world is mourning the loss of Robin Williams, a comic genius who suffered from depression. Hurt, pain, and mental illness are all very real, and can be overwhelming for those who suffer from them. I can’t guarantee complete freedom from them, but I can point you to Jesus, who is able to sympathize with us in all we go through (Hebrews 4:15).
I think of Galatians 6:9, which says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Be that leaf that stands out, does not let storms keep it down, and bursts forth into new life.
Last month, Post-Tropical Storm Arthur hit us hard in southwest Nova Scotia, as well as many other places in the Maritimes. Many trees were down, many lost power for a long time, and there was a lot of damage. What suffered most on Cape Sable Island where I live was the trees. The maples and chestnuts that line the main road may have stood tall during the storm, but the effects were noticed days later. The leaves died.
Trees need leaves to make food. It’s called photosynthesis, and plants use the sun to make food. I was really worried that if the trees lost their leaves before summer really kicked in, they would starve, and there would be many dead trees next year.
Sometimes we can stand up and remain strong under what happens to us today, but as time wears on, it begins to beat us down. The loss of a loved one will finally sink in much later, and we will feel the sorrow and loss that we may not have felt when it first happened.
There is a bright side, though. Some of the leaves have begun to come back, and the difference is striking. A few patches of green life in a mass of brown death. That gives me hope.
Years in the future, when that tree comes down and someone looks at the rings in the trunk, there will be a narrow ring for 2014, indicating a difficult year. We can all look back on our lives and see seasons of pain and loss.
Still, we are not without hope. We have moved on into a new normal. We do not have to remain victims of what happened to us. Trees with no brains or emotions can move on and grow again – we can choose the same.
This morning, as I am writing this, the world is mourning the loss of Robin Williams, a comic genius who suffered from depression. Hurt, pain, and mental illness are all very real, and can be overwhelming for those who suffer from them. I can’t guarantee complete freedom from them, but I can point you to Jesus, who is able to sympathize with us in all we go through (Hebrews 4:15).
I think of Galatians 6:9, which says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Be that leaf that stands out, does not let storms keep it down, and bursts forth into new life.