How bad was it? Well, it was so bad I wouldn't go out to get groceries even though I barely had anything left to eat in my house and there is a Walmart right around the corner. It was so bad that even my adventurous friend with four wheel drive and snow tires could not get out of her driveway. It was so bad that I could not see the tree line behind my house. It was so bad, we shovelled our driveway in the morning and you couldn't even tell we'd shovelled it an hour later! You get the picture. It...was...bad.
But when we woke up on Saturday morning, the sky was the bluest blue and it was an absolute winter wonderland outside! It was so beautiful! Breathtakingly georgous!
How beautiful was it? Well, let me tell you..it was so beautiful that I wished I had cross-country skis, because I think it would have been absolutely breath-taking to cross country ski on the pure white, freshly fallen snow. It was so beautiful, that even though I'm not a huge fan of winter, I couldn't wait to go for a walk on the crunchy white sidewalks surrounded by mounds of shimmering snow! Like I said..I'm not a huge fan of winter, but this was majestic! Dare I say...heavenly?!
My husband took this picture below from our bedroom window....
I told you it was beautiful!
As I think about the radical shift in the weather from Friday to Saturday, I can't help but think about how bleak circumstances can turn around just as radically as the weather. It doesn't always happen over night, but sometimes we find ourselves in the midst of a "storm" that we just can't find our way out of. Sometimes it's hard to see past the challenges and heaviness of today.
However, the same amazing God who controls the weather orchestrates our very lives. He enjoys giving us relief from the heaviness of our circumstances. And He doesn't just take take away our pain and our hurts... but He replaces them with something far better; something more beautiful!
"...he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory" (Isaiah 61:3, NLT).
I love the promises in this verse! He takes our ashes and gives us His beauty. He takes our sadness and our mourning and gives us a joyous blessing. He takes our despair and He replaces it with festive praises. It sounds like a great deal, doesn't it?
Wow! The hope in this verse is mind boggling. During the lowest points of our lives, isn't hope exactly what we need? When our circumstances are beyond what we can handle on our own, we can give it to Him and He will give us praise, blessing and beauty.
I know what you are thinking....sometimes our pain seems to keep coming back like a boomerang. Suffering can seem to attach itself to us like a moth to a flame even though we have given it to God. Sometimes, if we are honest, our pain is moment by moment and even breath by breath, but He will faithfully make the exchange with us. Beauty for ashes. Joy for morning. Praise for despair.
"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” (Lamentations 3:22-24, NIV)
Written By: Esther Allison
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