Where is your Sting?

That time when winter came, and stayed.  Relentlessly digging those cold death claws deep within, gripping tight.  Barren, empty, dark, dead, each day hope weakens at the prospect of life, new, green life.

How long, O lord? How long will the wicked be allowed to gloat? (Psalms 94:3 NLT)

The ferocious weight of winter became too much to bear.  And then, in the silence the thunderous break. Cracking branches fall to the ground tired and sore.  Branches unable to bear the burden of crippling ice. It's deceptive beauty brings death.

Finally the wrath cools.  The claws loosen their grip. The deep dark ground warms and hope is restored.  Hope and grief coexisting in the same heart, the same life.  Hope of brighter days, bursting life and a new start. Grief over lost beauty, majesty and cool shade when it's time to complain about summer's blaze. Grief over mess. Work, more work on an already full and busy life.

Eventually the hope grows bigger, using more life to crowd out the grief. Life is birthed restored, renewed.  Fragile and weak but fresh, young and protected. The dance and chance of life begins all over again.

One day young Maple, you will be the strength in this corner. Your broad shoulders will provide home  for critters nesting and relief from scorching sun.

Until then we wait, we watch, we hope.

"So Lord what hope do I have? You are my hope!" Psalm 39:7

Fearlessly Fragile

Over the past few days I've been mulling over the reality of my own weakness.  However, instead of this being a negative, depressing thought, it has become very liberating for me.

 

Embracing my weakness gives me the freedom to surrender control (and I love control).  Embracing my weakness relieves me of the stress and pressure of having to be all, do all and please all.   Most importantly, embracing my weakness makes room for God to be strong in me, through me and instead of me!  It is such a comfort to know that in my weakness I am strong!  Mere me, who is weak and fragile, can claim fearless freedom in the strength of my Creator who IS all.

 

Over and over I have prayed for strength.  I pray for strength for my friends, my children, the grieving, the sick,  myself, the whosoever.   I'm changing the rudder in my prayer life.  I'm no longer asking for strength.  I've realized it's not about my strength, it's not about me.  Instead I will only pray that God's strength would be made perfect in my weakness.  That God's strength would flow through me and that I would readily see supernatural inexplicable things happen through a weakling like me.

 

Soak it in:

 

"But he (Jesus) said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Crist's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in my weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10