Recently a hail storm hit our home and surrounding area. We were fortunate to not have damage to our home or cars, but my gardens were smashed to bits. My front hosta and water fountain area took the brunt of all the hail stones coming together off the roof of our house. The hostas, which had been thriving with large foliage, are now stripped down to a few stalks.
I know hostas are hardy. You can dig them up and divide them and they always respond positively. It seems they double in size every year, even if you have been digging around their roots.
How about you? Can you take a beating and still thrive?
Take encouragement today from the apostle Paul’s life. As he wrote to the Corinthian church, he boasted in his weakness and God’s greatness:
Five times I’ve received thirty-nine lashes from the Jewish leaders. Three times I experienced being beaten with rods. Once they stoned me. Three times I’ve been shipwrecked; for an entire night and a day I was adrift in the open sea. In my difficult travels I’ve faced many dangerous situations: perilous rivers, robbers, foreigners, and even my own people. I’ve survived deadly peril in the city, in the wilderness, with storms at sea, and with spies posing as believers. I’ve toiled to the point of exhaustion and gone through many sleepless nights. I’ve frequently been deprived of food and water, left hungry and shivering out in the cold, lacking proper clothing. (2 Corinthians 11:24-27, TPT)
Paul suffered beatings more than any of us, yet we never hear him complaining. Instead, he always points us to God’s mercy and grace. Even when he was imprisoned, he wrote letters with themes of joy, blessings from God, abundance, and provision. He offered prayers with words filled with advancement, increase, and fullness.
I remember last year after I had fallen down and torn the meniscus in my knee. As I hobbled around on crutches for a couple of weeks, I heard myself saying, “I feel beat up!” One day, the Holy Spirit tugged at my heart and opened my eyes to what I was saying. I was only seeing the injury and not seeing God’s goodness and abundance for me right in the middle of my situation. Once I adjusted my language to praise and thankfulness, my attitude changed and I felt better emotionally.
I am not sure what will happen with the hostas. They might get over the shock of the storm and regain growth momentum even this summer. But I am sure about you! With God’s grace and mercy, you can rebound and thrive from a storm; even when your body, mind, heart, and spirit feel like you have taken a beating.
But (God) answered me, “My grace is always more than enough for you, and my power finds its full expression through your weakness.” So I will celebrate my weaknesses, for when I’m weak I sense more deeply the mighty power of Christ living in me. (2 Corinthians 12:9 TPT)
His grace is enough and his power is working in you. Thrive!
Becky Meyerson is passionate about writing and teaching from the Word of God. Her heart is to see women flourish in every season of life. To encourage and empower women to live abundantly she writes free Bible reading plans, Bible studies, blogs and speaks on healthy thinking, identity, and purpose. www.beckymeyerson.com
Recent Comments