BEAUTY IN CHALLENGE

At Belgrave Heights Christian School I am often moved by our surroundings. I love the tall stately gum trees and at this time of year the maple trees in the car park and throughout the school are like brilliant orange torches lighting up the space around them. 

Recently a friend was telling me why trees shed their leaves. Factors such as the cold and shorter daylight hours are stressors and the trees respond to this crisis by producing more anthocyanins in order to recover nutrients. I loved this picture - that difficult times or a crisis can produce something so beautiful. When we are in the middle of a crisis it can be easy and even understandable to complain or to ask ‘why me?’ and this is normal but this is where christianity is so radical. 

In the bible, challenges are actually ways to bring people closer to God. In the book of James it says “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1: 2-4). This is so counter cultural - the bible encourages us that it is in the hard times that we can lean on God and He will give us what we need. As we lean on God we can learn to see beyond the crisis to what is ahead and the good things that God has in store for us. 

I am not saying that we should look for difficulty but I want to encourage you that if you are in the midst of a challenge to ask God to help you and meet you in the hard times. He can take your hand and lead you through so that you can know the joy of the radiant red maple leaves and know that God loves you and will always be with you.