Recently, one morning, as we were hiking in a lovely forest nearby, my husband (Brian), son (Robert), and I came upon the unusual tree in the photograph. I wondered what its story was. What was the hit, as it just started to grow as a sapling, that caused it to be bent and twisted? I felt Holy Spirit stir within me. “Oh, You’re showing me something, Jesus,” I said. “Yes,” I felt Him say, “Everything has a story!”
You, TOO, have a story.
We all have taken hits that have felt as if we would never recover.
Your story deserves to be told. You’ve gone through, and many of you are going through, some heavy things.
That’s the bad news.
But LOOK at how this resilient tree recovered—to grow as straight and tall and lovely as its neighbors!
The hit it took did not snuff it out.
The tree was not defined by its hit—it’s still a tree.
The hit it took could not stop it from growing straight, tall, flourishing, and beautiful.
The tree stands out and inspires even more than its neighbors!
So, what about you?
What is your story?
What were the hits that twisted, bent, or marred you when you least expected it?
Intrinsic to your nature, you are glorious, resilient, brave, beautiful, and powerful!
God placed that inside you. Let Him help you with everything coming up inside you that doesn’t believe that!
The hit(s) you took didn’t snuff you out.
YOU were never defined by your hit(s).
The hit(s) you took cannot stop you from growing straight, tall, flourishing, brave, and beautiful.
You stand out and can inspire even more in your way than those who didn’t have your hit(s).
But this is not all on you! You partner with God, and He does the heavy lifting (John 15:5, Matt. 11:28–30, and Phil. 2:13).
GOD is the Redeemer of ALL THINGS (Col. 1:20 and Rev. 11:15).
He is the One Who makes the crooked places straight (Luke 3:5‒6).
He raises the valleys and levels mountains. He smooths out rough places and rugged terrain. Isaiah 40:4–5 (Amplified Bible) says:
“Every valley shall be raised,
And every mountain and hill be made low;
And let the rough ground become a plain,
And the rugged places a broad valley.
“And the glory and majesty and splendor of the Lord will be revealed,
And all humanity shall see it together;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.”
(emphasis added)
The glory, majesty, and splendor of YOU, created in His glorious, majestic, and splendorous image will be revealed (Col. 3:3–4; Rom. 8:18–19 and 29; and 2 Cor. 3:17–18)!
That’s amazing!
Let’s keep looking at our lovely God and His response to our trials. He actually takes advantage of them if we are going to have them anyway (we live in a fallen world). And He works them for OUR advantage eventually (Rom. 8:28). Wow!
He is the One Who makes streams in the desert (Is. 35:6).
He blazes light in the darkness (John 1:4–13).
He brings life from death (Rom. 6:23 and 8:2; 2 Tim. 1:10; and 1 Cor. 15:54–55).
He is the Healer of the human heart (Is. 61:1)
Isaiah 61 prophetically proclaims the mission statement of the Messiah/the Christ yet to come (Is. 61:1‒3, New American Standard Bible)
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
Because the LORD anointed me
To bring good news to the humble;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim release to captives
And freedom to prisoners;
To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The cloak of praise instead of a disheartened spirit.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
The hits:
- Humbling, humiliation, and degradation
- Shattered, broken hearts
- Captivity, imprisonment, and bondage
- Mourning, grief, and loss
- Death, infirmity, and ashes
- Discouragement and despair
- A broken spirit
God’s love response:
- Good news
- Binding up and healing
- Release, freedom, and deliverance
- Favor
- Vindication
- Comfort
- Garland and adornment
- Joy and gladness and praise
- Strength of the oak
- Rightness and righteousness
- Glory
And THEN YOU, when you have been restored, receive His empowerment and anointing and get the honor of building back and repairing the ruins and desolations. And not just the recent ones, but also those that have existed for many generations. Get down with your bad self!
THAT, in proper timing (hear me here), is part of your recompense!
The Person of Love, Who never fails, is inside you (1 Cor. 13:8, Col.1:27, and Heb. 13:5b). He is one with you—always!
He empowers you to keep going and to take the next step to partner with Him in your healing, redemption, and restoration (Phil. 2:13).
He has made you a champion and conqueror. But not just a conqueror—MORE than a conqueror through Him (Rom. 8:37 and 1 Cor. 15:57).
He empowers you to heal, grow, and be transformed (literally transfigured) into the image of Christ in your flavor (Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 3:17– 18; and Rom. 8:18–19, 28–32, and 37)!
So, be encouraged, wherever you are in your journey.
God is redeeming and making all things beautiful in their time (Eccl. 3:11)!
He is masterful at this! So, if it is not looking beautiful yet, take heart—the story/your story is not finished yet!
I hope this has encouraged and inspired you! I’d love to hear your story!
Thank you, precious tree, for helping remind us of these things!
And thank YOU, Jesus, for loving us (and this little tree) so passionately and relentlessly, as You, Papa, and Holy Spirit are restoring us and all your precious creation!
Much love,
Catherine
