Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Life is like this...don't you think?


"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken"
 ~ Author Unknown

Just when you get used to the warm weather, 
another cold front makes it's way through.
And when I say cold, I mean COOOLD!  Biting cold.

Just when you think everything is running smoothly,
*BADA-BOOM*... a bump in the road.

Just when you think you've got a handle on things,
plans change. Health wanes. Children go rogue.

Life is like this, don't you think? It's part of the human experience.
Yet unexpected twists and turns are what keep the story alive.

One day they love you, the next you're their target.  
One day a situation is chillax and under control, 
the next day chaos reigns. 
One day you feel like you're on top of the world, 
the next day you feel like it's crashing down on you. 
Circumstances are always in flux,
but how we choose to perceive these experiences 
can make all the difference.

God says we can build our "house" on the sand 
or we can build it on The Rock. 
When our "house" is built on the sand, 
then the winds and the rain can tear it down. 
When our "house" is built on The Rock, 
then it's sturdy and strong and the storms can't destroy it.

I like to think of our "house" as our emotional stability.
When our emotional stability is built on the sand, 
that means our sense of well-being is based on 
fleeting things and passing moods.
One disappointing conversation and we crumble - 
one fierce trial and the house falls down.  
When our emotional stability is built on The Rock - 
we're depending on God.

 I never used to do so well with the unexpected.
Fear of the unknown was a burden to say the least.
I had what I like to call "white knuckle syndrome,"
holding on so tight,
 desperately trying to control each outcome,
as if I ever could.

I'm learning and RE-learning what it means to let go.
I've come to embrace and even relish the understanding
that TRUE surrender means giving up attachment to results.
That no matter how it plays out...good, bad or indifferent...
that you know that you KNOW that you are going to be ok,
and even if everything falls apart, 
being confident that HE WILL do something NEW, 
and that HE will use every last detail 
to bring us into HIS sweet sweet presence.

On a side note, 
don't these flowers on my apple tree personify SPRING?
And to think that only a week ago, this tree was just a skeleton.
Stripped bare from a season of wintery cold.
A few days later, tiny green leaves pushed their way 
through dormant branches.
And now, fragrant soft petals screaming "LIFE!" have emerged.
As surely as the sun rises, the fruit isn't far behind.
*smile*
Life is like this...don't you think?

8 comments:

  1. It's amazing how timely this reminder is. I was coming home from dropping Dudette at school and praying about the tough things we're going through right now. I was pretty weighed down and focused on how bad life is. At that moment, a heron soared right in front of my car and landed in the lake on the right. I stopped and watched it wade in the shallow water for a moment, then drove on. My prayer changed to one of gratitude and thankfulness for the beauty in this world and for all the good things God's given us. Thank you, Jaime.

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  2. Yes, Life is like this...oh yes! How timely your post is...in sync with the changing seasons and the March winds blowing anything not achored to and fro. But I think of the stable oaks outside my window and how their roots are grounded and solid, unshaken by the rushing winds... just as ours can be if grounded in "The Rock".

    And your apple tree is blossoming so beautifully! "As surely as the sun rises, the fruit isn't far behind"! Ahh... Amen!!!

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  3. Oh goodness, it is so hard to let go sometimes. It's so hard to let go of the control I hold on to so tightly. Wonderful post - thank you!

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  4. What a beautiful post... I think I really needed to read this today! Thanks :)

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  5. SO true...why do we feel the need to control??? I need to trust more and live the beautiful life I've been given. Thanks for the inspiration, my sweet and wise friend! xoxo

    PS...gorgeous spring blossoms! We returned from vacation to every tree in bloom and an amazing fragrance every time the doors are opened...heavenly~

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  6. You reminders always come at the perfect time. When I saw your apple blossoms I was lamenting the cherry trees I left behind. I have had to bend so many times in the last few years, but yet I remain unbroken. Everything will come full circle eventually Bella, just hold on tight. We've had so much rain here the last week, holding my breath for some Spring sunshine soon.
    -Gina-

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  7. I loved this post. Thanks for sharing it with us.

    Velva

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  8. Another great post! I love spring and the abundance of new life springing forward. It is exciting and thrilling. :-)

    And yes, life is up and down and all around and I like to think that I can roll with whatever comes my way with Him by my side. Last year was a real judge of how well I could do that with all the scary things that came my way (hubby found out he had prostrate cancer and had to have surgery, brother had 3 heart attacks and open heart surgery, and I fell and hit my head and had a brain trauma and sprained ankle--all happening around the same time). I have more faith than ever! :-)

    I loved your poem about fear too, very good!!!

    Have a blessed holiday!

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