Still Growing . . .

This post has been a long time coming. The last few years have been a veritable roller coaster season of growth for me and my family. The Lord gave us some of the most joyful and visibly fruitful times in our life, as well as some of the most grueling in the last few years. Nearly every aspect of our life has changed--some radically. This blog found its roots some years ago in the idea of  growth rooted in God's Word. Our experiences since the formation of this blog have yielded much perspective. However, it was this period in our lives that have also hindered its progress for quite some time now.

For many years the plan was life and ministry in Wales, and for a short season... oh so short... we were there. By God's grace we saw lives and hearts changed, a new church established, relationships forged, and leaders developed. My wife and I had found what we truly believed was "home"--and we felt more at home there than we had ever felt. 

But God had other plans. 

Plans that included health struggles which set into motion a return to the States. Plans which were suddenly and drastically changed in light of a sudden global pandemic. Plans that included much pain and loss that would reverberate through every part of our family in a number of ways--of family, of friends, even an aspect of our identity. 

Ripped from what had become our new comfort zone, we felt as if we were thrown back into our old one and found it no longer comfortable. (This will probably be the subject of another upcoming post that I began drafting shortly after we landed in Wales--watch for Hiraeth)

To anyone who dared to take a long hard look at our family these past few years we've had every reason to fall apart.  Death, health scares, loss of family and home, job loss -- the challenges have felt, at times, insurmountable. We've had unbelievers question our faith in a God who appears to be watching from the sidelines. We've had believers question our call and commitment to a God whom we have obviously angered. The arrows have come from every direction.

Why are we still here?  How has our faith remained? 

The hope that is only found in the Bible.

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seats of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night." --Psalm 1.1-2

Through it all we've stayed grounded. Not in our temporal furnishings, nor in our career paths.  We've stayed grounded in the Word.

And the more we are in the Word, the more we grow.

Growth is always happening, and is often painful. For a seed to become a tree, it must first break out of its hull and push through rocks and dirt to the surface where it will face more peril (floods, storms, hungry animals, barrenness, etc.) But in due time the seed becomes a tree, and the tree bears its fruit to be shared with others--and provide the means of producing more trees. Even the mature tree continues to face perils and must weather those perils through multiple seasons before seeing its fruitful time again. If it would survive the difficult times--The driving rain, the blustering wind, the blistering heat, the voracious attackers (you get the idea)--the tree must be well grounded.

"He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yield its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers." --Psalm 1.3

Thus the analogy that gives inspiration to this blog--this mere droplet in a veritable sea of writings being offered on a given day in the "blogosphere." It is whether and where you're grounded that makes all the difference in how the fruit of your life looks and "tastes." For a time our fruit may taste very bitter or may even be very difficult to access. It might even seem to some a bit ugly. But in due time the fruit will ripen and you will find that, although the wait was rough or the effort seemed excessive, it was worth it. Some fruit is sweeter than others, and some fruit takes considerable effort to find enjoyable. 

God is faithful, even when we are not. We don't have to like the process, and many times we won't. But He is there, and He has the ultimate "green thumb." He knows exactly where we need to be, when, and how--and is under no obligation to confer with us on His plan any more than a seasoned landscaper need discuss matters with a tree that needs to be moved in order to thrive in accordance with a bigger plan. 

That's a tough pill to swallow; even tougher to digest. 

But there it is, or rather here it is. Chew on it for a while, because knowing we're in the hands of the OG Landscaper--Creator of Earth and Eden, Adam and Eve--lends a helpful bit of perspective. 

Dig your roots deep and soak in every bit of sustenance in the soil God gives you as you reach for Him. He's there. He knows what you need, and He knows what to expect from you--and He loves you anyway.