Beauty Out of the Broken

On June 6th, 2010, a tornado hit in Essex County, Ontario. The destruction in the area was devastating to say the least.  The beautiful tree lined streets that once were, are no longer tree lined. It will take years to recover.

Seacliffe Park on the edge of Lake Erie had a few mature trees that snapped in the storm.  Instead of removing the damaged trees, they were turned into something new.

I love this lighthouse, a replica of the one just a few hundred metres away at the marina. The tree that the tornado tried to destroy was turned into something beautiful in the hands of an artist.

Isn't that the way God works with us?  The enemy of our souls tries to destroy our lives. John 10:10 tells us that "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy." He wants to totally annihilate God's kids. He will not be happy until he can.  Thankfully Jesus had the final say, "I have come that they may have life; and have it to the full."  What the enemy tries to do to destroy us, God will take it, turn it around and make it a thing of beauty in our lives.

There are times when we as humans try to hide our brokenness. We try to hide our messes, but it is in letting them come to light that God can make something absolutely beautiful out of our stories. In my life, it is humbling to see how God can use my story to encourage others on their own path. I share my story so that others can find hope.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

I want that to be my story. I want God to use my story to bring comfort to others, so that they in turn can be a comfort to others still, becoming a ripple effect, spreading out to bring glory, praise and honor to our God.

Has God given you an opportunity to share your story with someone, but you have been too afraid to open up, too afraid that they will think less of you?  Don't let fear win.  Don't miss out on the beauty that God wants to make out of your story. He wants to make something beautiful out of the broken. He wants to make something beautiful out of your life. Let Him. He is the Master Artist.  You will not be disappointed.

More Than Just a Tree

As I go for my walks around town, I love to stop and enjoy the beauty of God's creation.  Time and time again He takes my breath away with all that He has created.  The flowers, the trees, the animals, and even the people all reflect the glory of God.  My Father God loves to speak to me through His creation.

There is one particular tree that really has caught my attention.  You see, this tree tells me a story.  

It is more than just one tree, but when you look at it, that is what it seems to be, just one tree.  These two little seedlings grew side by side, and as they grew and shared the same space, they became intertwined with one another. If you look closely, as the branches grew, their close proximity resulted in a shaping of the branches, a shaping that would not have occurred had they been planted further apart.  The branches had to adapt to the space in order to grow and reach their full potential.  

Isn't that the way we are as human beings?  We have people who are planted in our path; for good or for bad, they are there, shaping us and helping us to become more like the person we were meant to be.  So often we think that we need to be independent, that we can do it on our own, it is a pride thing. "I don't need anyone." Sometimes the opposite occurs, we become too dependent, "I can't do this, I need someone to do it for me."  In reality, we need one another.

In Romans Paul says, "In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t."  (Romans 12:4-6a - The Message)

On one end of the spectrum is independence, on the other end of the spectrum is dependence, and I choose what is in the middle, interdependence.  We can all use our gifts, talents and abilities to hold each other up.  You are not better than me, and I am not better than you, we were created differently so that we could each play our part in the story of life, each one growing, shaped by others planted in our lives. Together we can do amazing things, if only we will allow it.

Every time I pass by this tree I smile and know that I am not alone, I was never meant to be. I don't have all the answers, but then again I don't know all the questions either.  I am blessed to have some amazing family and friends who Father God has planted in my path, people who will speak truth into my life when I need it, people who see me for who I am and value me as that person, people who will make me laugh, people who pray for and encourage me, and people who challenge me to grow.  I am grateful for each and every one of them, and I am blessed to call them my family and friends. 

Every time I pass by the corner where this particular  tree lives, I am grateful for the life lesson. It is more than just a tree to me.