From Darkness to Light

I saw this great quote on Instagram recently, “Sometimes when you’re in a dark place, you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted.” It made me hold my breath for a moment because I was actually in a rather dark and desolate place at the time. One of those, “Oh God, why hast thou forsaken me” places. Can you relate? I think we probably all get there from time to time, if we’re honest. Especially if we look at all the things that have been happening in our world economically, socially, culturally, politically…It would be difficult not to feel overwhelmed, forgotten, and even forsaken.

It’s a good thing we can know where our Help comes from and that we are rooted in a Foundation that cannot and will not be shaken. The Word tells us that mountains may crumble and the hills may be removed but His kindness towards us will not depart or be shaken. (Is. 54:10) Ps. 92:12 says that the righteous will flourish like a palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Then Jer. 17:8 tells us that “he (the righteous) shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.”

In order to survive droughts and plight, plants or tree must have deep roots, which means that it must be first planted deep into the soil and covered up, buried deeply. It takes time to develop those roots which will withstand strong winds and storms and heat and other trials. Survival doesn’t just happen; you have to fight for it! I wonder if tomatoes think apples have it easy and vice versa, neither one appreciating the other’s struggle to survive. One grows in the heights where “predators” climb to devour it and make nests in the branches among the fruit; the other grows closer to the ground where it’s easier for low-lying predators to pounce. Both are beautiful, desirable, tasty, yet both begin their lives as tiny seeds who must be planted.

Let’s appreciate one another and honor our separate struggles. Let’s cheer one another on in our individual races. Every finish line represents a victory for us all. After all, we all began as dirt. Selah.