adversity | Stephen L Hufman

The wind molds the trees along the Iceberg Lake Trail

Can you imagine the wind and harsh weather that molded these trees, but here they are hanging on, some how surviving. We have to admit that what life throws at us sometimes makes us think we won’t survive … so oppressed we would rather die.

In the trek along Psalm 103 the next section extols the Lord’s abounding love and compassion. A love that helps renew our strength like the eagle’s.

Who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Psalm 103:5-8

How does this help in our time of trouble, fear, high anxiety? By meditating on the goodness of God’s love found in 1 Corinthians 13

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

I can hold onto God’s love when the wind blows so hard I feel that I am about to crack because His love holds onto me. Then instead of breaking I am molded into something beautiful like these trees along the Iceberg Lake trail.

So many colors

This picture reminds me that there are so many beautiful things in God’s creation that I never notice. Mostly, it is due to my not seeing what is there. Other times, it is because I fail to give glory and thanks to God for what he has done. Thus, I miss all the marvelous things that he is doing.

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Romans 1:20-21)

This picture was not due to some computer manipulation by me. Instead, it occurred by a fortunate accident when the wind came up and disturbed the picture that I wanted. The following picture is the one I intended of a spiderweb. Oh, how thankful I am that God brings the wind to give us more than we knew existed.