Beauty from Ashes

We recently drove home from up North by way of the forest. As I gazed out the window, I was half-listening to a Christian music CD, it hit me ...

The Rodeo-Chedesky fire wiped out every living thing for so many acres, how could it ever be something other than a field of black soot and ash? I was saddened by the stark remains of burned trees stretching up to the sky for as far as the eye could see. Then God gave me an epiphany, my eyes fell to the ground where new green life was again forming a forest, beautiful and hand-planted by the Creator Himself.

My first understanding was the similarities between the forest and our lives. Many of us had to go through an ordeal by fire to find the true nature of God. We had to burn away the "dead wood" so he could prune us back for an amazing time of growth in our future. We left behind some family members, some old friends, some bad habits that made up our comfort zones, and in return, God gave us His light, and living water, so we could grow better and stronger than before. A changed being.

My next phase of understanding brought me to realize that now we're that new life but yet, we still live among the dying or dead spirits. The sadness I felt for the empty, naked trees reminded me of the deeply hurting people we see all around us every day who don't know how to regain strength and life. Only when we, the new creations in Christ, join together can we help the forest to become green again. Only if we allow God to use us to touch others can we stand among the living.

Dear Heavenly Father,
It always amazes us how you use the simplest, everyday things in our life to
teach us new lessons. We don't want to be just the few greens on the forest floor. We
know you love everyone as your own, even if they don't know or understand that. They
need you just as we did and still do. Help us to allow you to prune us back, so we can
grow and bring new life to a barren world.
Amen