The Natural World is a testimony of comfort in devastation.
What is it about nature, what does the earth have internally, that allows her to follow destruction and devastation with beauty... and wholeness? The video above reveals just a glimpse of the beauty and consolation that can be found in the silence of nature. But, it was recorded on the same hike that the upturned trees were photographed, after the tornado. Follow the photo essay in the photo gallery above to the right and discover what a tornado reveals about devastation before continuing this article.
A forest fire was only weeks before the tornado. That's the way devastation works in our lives too. It often happens that one loss is close on the heels of another. But, tornados have the effect of removing dead and dying things from the soil, so that the living can continue. Our personal brand of devastation is the same. We moan the things that are "lost," not realizing that they may be removed to allow us to go on living. Some things, left to grow, may encumber us like roots feeding a dying tree, restricting the direction our lives are permitted to take.
Who knows what God has in store for you just around the corner? In removing this job to unemployment, this spouse lost to divorce, this health overcome by sickness, this child caught up to heaven in death or miscarriage; God may be opening your arms for the job that will allow you to make a difference, the spouse who will really love you, the health of your soul, the baby that would not have been.
Nature's secret internal element is peace. The earth accepts the dying and allows herself to be held by the Creator in peace. She does not toss and turn, nor bewail the loss of the trees. She opens her eyes to a new sunrise.
A forest fire was only weeks before the tornado. That's the way devastation works in our lives too. It often happens that one loss is close on the heels of another. But, tornados have the effect of removing dead and dying things from the soil, so that the living can continue. Our personal brand of devastation is the same. We moan the things that are "lost," not realizing that they may be removed to allow us to go on living. Some things, left to grow, may encumber us like roots feeding a dying tree, restricting the direction our lives are permitted to take.
Who knows what God has in store for you just around the corner? In removing this job to unemployment, this spouse lost to divorce, this health overcome by sickness, this child caught up to heaven in death or miscarriage; God may be opening your arms for the job that will allow you to make a difference, the spouse who will really love you, the health of your soul, the baby that would not have been.
Nature's secret internal element is peace. The earth accepts the dying and allows herself to be held by the Creator in peace. She does not toss and turn, nor bewail the loss of the trees. She opens her eyes to a new sunrise.
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         Paradise Lost? Not Really! One of the greatest joys of my life has been bike riding. The photo slideshow to the left is a collection of pictures I took while riding my bike, and enjoying the peace of nature, with my son Travis, my stepson Jeremiah, and my husband Larry. They were taken in different places, and many pictures include the wild creatures that make nature so peaceful for me.
A surgical accident in October 2009 left me unable to ride my bike. A trip down the trails and roads pictured is no longer something I can enjoy. Though I miss the pleasure of losing myself in the wild of nature, of letting myself go, while flying in the breeze on my bike, I still enjoy spending time with my family. I feel blessed to have people in my life who give me a source of contentment. I found that bike riding was a means to an end. Romans 8:28 The Bible says all things work for our good. So, it's all good! |
