The storm was all it was predicted to be. Layers of ice hit my small town followed by large amounts of snow. Schools were closed for days as people waited for roads to be cleared and electricity to be restored. All I could see outside my backdoor was a large drift of snow and the hint of our shrubs poking through the top. It seemed desolate; until a bright patch of red caught my eye.
A bright male Cardinal came and perched on top of the snow bank. What a beauty he was! His small body was crimson against a backdrop of colorless land. He spoke of life midst the frozen conditions. I was surprised I hadn’t noticed him before. I guess he had easily blended in before the landscape has become so stark.
It is during some of life’s bleakest times that we fully recognize the beauty God reveals. During our darkest trials, we are driven to God’s presence. There we find a sharp contrast between our broken world and His. In His presence we experience the deepest love, the purest peace, and rare beauty.
How would you describe your current surroundings? Are there areas that seem frozen and lifeless? Are you in the midst of adversity? Let the bleak conditions drive you into God’s presence. Let them stir a passion in your heart to know Him more deeply and to worship Him more authentically. Do not run from a season of storms. Let them linger long enough to feel His mercy fall from heaven in the end. It is truly a beautiful experience.
Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.
James 1:12
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