Sometimes in the chaos, the uncertainty, the hurt and disappointment that comes from the world we live in, it is so very hard to remember that we are called to be children of God. We are called to trust and have faith that He is always in control. We are called to believe!
And yet, I know that I find myself struggling to stay in that place of belief and faith and trust when it seems that my whole world is falling apart. This last week was definitely one of those times when I really had to stop and be still and seek God’s face. I was reminded in a span of a couple of minutes, how easily our lives can be changed and our futures radically upended. It left me with questions for God of why and what now? It brought me to a place of choice. Not a choice of what I was going to do, but of what and who I was going to put my trust in. Was I going to trust things of this world or was I going to trust the God who created this world?
I made the choice to believe in my God and it amazes me how He reminds me that He is near and working in my life. He chose to remind me of who He was while I was on a beautiful hike this weekend. Nature never ceases to point me back to the perfection of God’s plan and to the love that He has for us all.
Entering into the mountain, where it is virtually untouched by human hands, always allows me to reflect on the perfection of God. From the sights to the smells – nature cries out to how much God cares for us. As I walked along the raging creek I was gently reminded that everything has a season. And even though I always want summer to come sooner than later, it takes winter to provide the abundant snow pack needed to allow the rivers and creeks to flow. This water is the life blood of the valleys, allowing for all the beautiful flora to grow and become the lush green wonderland that I was walking through. Winter always signifies death to most of the plants and trees, but as I was walking and smelling the wonderful aroma of the forest, God gently reminded me that even though winter brings death, this death and decay is what allows the flowers and plants of spring to be fed and nurtured. It is how the seeds that were dropped in the fall will grow in the spring. He reminded me that the same is true of the seasons of our lives. Sometimes the death of a dream can seem like the end, but many times it is just the fertilizer that helps the seeds of the new season of our lives sprout. God has ordered nature in this way; in fact he has ordered the whole world this way; and our lives are no exception. Everything has a season and if we try to hold onto summer we will never experience the new growth of spring.
There were so many things that God was speaking to me about on this hike that there is no way I can write about it in this one blog. Things like how much He cares for us and will provide everything we need; how powerful He is and How we can trust Him to make a way; and how much He cares about all things, even the small details. Nature has an order to it that was ordained by God himself. It shows How perfect He is, because of how perfect it is. Our lives are no different. God has a plan for each of us and even though it may seem chaotic and uncertain. Even though there are hurts and disappointments, there are always new beginnings. How we navigate through each season of our life will wholly depend on the choice we make of whether we focus on the world or the God that created it.