There’s going to be storms. Plenty of them.
There are going to be struggles. A lot of them. On repeat.
Suppose that’s you right now, welcome to this club called life. You will be faced with so many painful and challenging things, that it will knock you over and sometimes you’ll forget how to breathe.
In the last few years, there have been a lot of moments and struggles that have made me feel this way.
But there have also been so many joy-filled moments.
Both have existed- and I’ve come to be grateful for both.
What strikes me when the storms come, however, is how surprised I get when it happens.
How shocked I am that, yet again the obstacles are here.
I’ve realized, I have lived under this illusion that struggles are an exception to life-not the most common. That there’ll be more mountaintop moments than valley seasons. That obstacles once overcome, will not come again. New ones won’t appear.
Are you laughing at my delusion yet? I am.
But I don’t see it that way anymore. And it’s not that I’m waiting for the pin to drop every time things are going well. And I hope you aren’t either- that when life is good, you aren’t wondering, “oh this is not going to last, something bad is going to happen soon.” That is not the best way to live or thrive.
But I’ve just embraced that struggles are going to be part of this life.
So for those of you who are currently struggling and are floored by your current situation or circumstances, here’s the pep talk.
Yes, You’re going to face storms.
Yes, You are going to struggle and it’s going to be painful.
Yes, you’re going to have more questions than answers when you face paths that feel like there’s no end in sight.
And yes, you will feel like you won’t be handle one more thing if it goes wrong, and you can’t take any more discouragement or hopelessness.
But can I let you in on a beautiful secret?
You’ll persevere.
You’ll keep going.
You’ll walk out of this storm.
Perhaps it’s time to stop waiting for when this storm will pass or when these struggles will stop coming your way.
Perhaps it’s time to reframe your mind about the hard stuff and put on hope even during the painful moments.
Isaiah 61 says –They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
This is the hope we carry. That we would become oaks of righteousness.
Why did God choose oaks? He could have chosen any other tree. But the more you read the Bible, you realize every word is so intentional. Nothing at all is by accident.
Oaks are sturdy, they have deep roots, and they are known for the strength they possess and how that strength carries them through difficult storms. They don’t topple over when storms hit. It doesn’t mean they don’t get hit by the storm or get injured along the way. Nor does it mean that storms don’t come for them. They do.
But despite the storms, they remain standing. They remain sturdy and stay rooted deep. They don’t get defeated.
This is what we pray and wish for all of you :
That when the storms come when the struggles hit – we remain standing and persevere.
No doubt, it’s going to be all kinds of hard and painful.
But let’s persevere.
Don’t quit now. Don’t be filled with discouragement and hopelessness and stay there.
Rise up. Be the oaks of righteousness He’s called you to be.
