Snow is heavy! Really heavy!
So too … life is heavy!
Especially during this Christmas Season of Advent.
This year, the advent of December brought with it the advent of snow! Lots of snow! I was amazed at how perfectly prepared God’s creation was for it.
“The evergreen trees’ thin needles are designed to shed ice and snow easily so that the enormous weight of snow does not break the evergreen branches. The branches are able to withstand these snow loads due to their cone-shape or “Christmas-tree shape.
“Each year these spruce and fir trees produce a new whorl of three to six branches which grow horizontally like spokes from the hub of a wheel. Each branch is flexible, which allows it to bend gently down when there is pressure from the snow. As the snowy branch bends down, it is supported by last year’s branch beneath it. Finally, as the pitch increases, the snow slides right off.”
(Excerpted from: Inspired Evidence
By: Julie Von Vett & Bruce Malone)
God, in His loving kindness for His creation, especially designed & prepared evergreen trees to be able to withstand the heavy weight of snow!
So too … God, in His loving kindness for us, has especially designed & prepared us to be able to withstand the heavy weight this life dumps on us.
The evergreen branches are designed so that the previous year’s growth supports the weight of the next year’s growth … so also God uses the previous seasons of our life to prepare us for the current season of life we are in.
One of my favorite quotes from Corrie ten Boom is: “The experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will give us to do.”
That really hard thing we went through way back then … it toughened us up (even though we didn’t realize it at the time.) It made us who we are today! It was because of that hard thing that we are the person we are today. It caused growth in our life which, we discover with surprise, has become the strength by which we are now able to face our current difficulty!
Not only does seasonal growth serve to strengthen and support evergreen trees … but also the shape of the tree. In the same way, God has specially SHAPED each one of us. (The below acronym is from my pastor, Pastor Brad)
Spiritual gifts
Heart (desires, dreams, passions)
Abilities
Personality
Experience
God has uniquely shaped evergreen trees to be able to withstand the heavy loads of snow in the specific climate where they grow … so also, God has uniquely SHAPED each one of us to be able to withstand the heavy load of life, in the specific place, region, work company, family where God has placed us to grow.
* What Spiritual gifts has God given you? How do these give you strength for the heavy load of life, in the place where you are?
* What desires, dreams, passions has God placed deep within you? How do these help you weather the storms?
* What natural abilities and talents has God given you? How do these abilities give you strength?
* What personality has God given you? How does your personality give you strength for the storms?
* What life experiences has God given you? How have your experiences become the preparation for what you are going through now?
Snow is heavy!
And Life is heavy!
But underneath all that weight … the arms of Jesus are upholding and supporting us! This is why we are celebrating the Christmas Season of Advent! Jesus came! Jesus came to rescue us … to uphold us … to support us. Thank you Jesus for coming!
“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” – Deuteronomy 33:27
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28
