The Good Stuff Is Coming
I finally got to take Trevor to one of my favorite spots when we were back visiting family in Ohio. From digging up fossils as a young girl to a place of retreat for me in a really difficult season - this place is so special to me. I sat in this place, post divorce in my early twenties wrestling over some really hard conversations with God. I vividly remember the broken girl sitting and looking out at this dry bed thinking, “If He can make dry bones come to life, I’ll believe that He can take the dry and broken pieces of my life and revive it to something beautiful too.” And He did. So much beauty which unbeknownst to me also included an amazing husband and 4 kids. I could have never imagined this life sitting in this place all those years ago. Like truly… I couldn’t even envision it. I really did believe God would bring healing to my hurt and growth to what had been taken from me. But, I didn’t know it was going to be this good.
After Trev and I ventured back to my parents house I said, “Wow! There’s a lot more grass in that dry bed than I remembered before.” My Dad replied, “That’s because there is. We got a lot of rain this year. And you know…more rain means more things coming to life.”
His words hit me deep down in my soul.
If only I could be like Luke Bryan and truly believe that “Rain Is A Good Thing” and see the other side of the storm. And how would I have embraced my desert season differently if I knew a new life would soon be coming to bloom? Wouldn’t it be easier if we could skip the desert chapters and rain storms all together and just dance among the wildflowers?
We all know that although it may come easier to skip the process, it’s the process that propels us to the greatest versions of ourselves.
For the one who feels like it won’t stop raining: Whether you are battling what seems like constant sickness, you’re just flat out tired of failed dreams, you’re facing financial hardship, or the seasonal depression is coming in hot. You may see the storms surrounding you and wish them away. But just as I always tell my little one, “We need the rain, honey.” The rain may impede on your present day plans, but it’s also the very thing that will help your future blossom into all its fullest. Ask yourself, “What’s growing in me because of this rain?”
To the one who is standing in the middle of a dry and barren season: You’ve been praying for healing over your sweet girl, but He hasn’t answered how you’ve wanted Him to. Or perhaps the parenthood journey is feeling extra lonely because of the lack of community. You’ve been pleading with God for your deepest desires and don’t understand why He can’t just hand them over. Where you see a desert, God sees a season of readiness. A season where ALL you have is HIM and therefore, you result in complete dependence on Him which births the greatest intimacy with Him. And you’ll need this for where He is catapulting you to next, trust me. In other words, what feels like a dead end, may really be the most magical turning point of your life. Ask yourself, “What could He be turning me towards?” And, “How can I leverage this time to prepare for what’s ahead?”
The good stuff is coming. New life is going to blossom even in the most barren and rocky places. Soon, you’re going to look out and hardly recognize the beauty that is before you. Just keep moving.
This is how I know God can do it again for me.
This is how I know He can do it for you too, friend.