The Winds Will Come

Dodging tumbleweeds are similar to the childhood game dodge ball only when I play these days it is to avoid hitting them with my car.  We have some crazy wind where we live and we are not in a short supply of tumbleweeds. 

If by some chance you are not familiar with one,  I have given you a picture.  It is the dead, round bush on the bottom left of the picture.  The crazy part about tumbleweeds is they have very little root structure which is why when you get a good wind they start rolling.  They are relatively light weight and can really get going pretty fast being tossed all over the place.  I hate hitting them because I always seem to get them stuck in the grill of my car and drag them around with me

 I was thinking about people that are like tumbleweeds getting tossed and blown every time a “life, wind storm” comes up.  My mind became flooded with people that I would call human tumbleweeds.  None of us are immune to problems.  In our lifetimes we may deal with medical issues, losses like a loved one, a job or a home, a defiant 3-year-old,  a rebellious teenager or aging parents. That is just to name a few!  I think about the people that I personally know that handle those wind storms with grace, the one common denominator, God.  It is more than just knowing about God, it is knowing God.  We have to spend time with Him and learn about His attributes some such as He is our healer so trusting Him to heal.  He is our provider so trusting Him to take care of our needs, He is a friend to the friendless. I can think back on times when I felt I had no friends. The only way you can learn about someone is spending time with them.  The same thing in our relationship with God.  He is the only one that gives us the grace to get through the storms of life.  So why are some blown so easily?  Simply, there is no root structure.

 We are not enough all on our own.  We have to be rooted in Jesus.   Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold firmly to the hope that we have confessed because we can trust God to do what he promised.”  I love the “Let us hold firmly” part of that verse.  In strong wind, you have to hold firmly to things.  Hold firmly to Jesus when those storms come.

He has promised to take care of us. He created us and knows every intricate detail of our lives.  There is not a thing in this world that we will go through that will be of surprise to Him.  He knows our deepest hurts and our list of sorrows.  He sees us when we are at the end of life’s rope, and not sure we can rally even one more day. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”  I know perhaps you may not be a prophet to the nations such as Jeremiah but you can apply this to what you are.  Before you were formed in the womb I knew you.  God knew all about you.  He knew if you were going to be a dancer, singer, mother, wife, electrician and so on.  He knew all about you.  In knowing you he also knew all you would go through.

 When we moved here almost 11 years ago we were given advice that I adhered to, and now see why.  My friend said, “Don’t by plastic lawn furniture”.  That was great advice!  We quickly noticed that rather than wood fences in our area they use cinderblock walls.  Tiles instead of shingles and so on.  I think you get the idea.  People and builders where we live know the importance of sturdy structure to withstand the wind.  Trees stay staked far longer than most places.  The tree above is from my own yard.  That tree was staked for at least 5 years and well, there you have it, forever leaning.  We should have left it staked longer.  It now serves as a reminder to me every single day the importance of deep roots and sturdy structure.  There have been several times we thought that tree would blow over, but there it stands or leans in its case. Despite all the wind it has continued to grow and has strengthened.

We need to have sturdy structures and deep roots.  Perhaps we have been blown and tossed and tend to lean a little.  It is okay, God knows.  Stake yourself firmly to him and you will withstand the storms.

 Until next time…