Praising Through The Storms


The tree still stands, tall and proud
A giant in the landscape
A closer look reveals the damage
A lightning hit -- burnt and scarred to the core
Some limbs and branches never recovered,
The life is gone from them
An ominous dark streak from top to bottom


Yet the tree still stands, tall and proud
Arms lifted toward the heavens in praise
Living branches full of green leaves
The scar healed with new bark
And the tree lives on
Praising through the storm
Praising through the lightning strikes
Praising through the healing
Praising through the sunshine

How like that tree we followers of Christ can be
Life's lightning bolts can hit us
Damage us
Burn us
Injure us
Leave parts of us for dead
Yet we praise Him through the storms
We praise Him through the lightning strikes
We praise Him as we trust for a sunny day
Our injuries are scabbed over
Healed
New Growth can sprout

The scars remain to remind us
Of HIS healing powers
And that He carries us safely through the storms
And we are
Just like the tree standing tall
And lifting praises toward the heavens
Thankful for a new day


(As we drove through the Ghanaian countryside yesterday, I noticed a particular tree. I think it is an acacia tree, though my own name for them is "watchtower tree." It towered over the landscape, standing all alone. I spotted this one from a good ways off -- and as we passed it, I noticed it had been struck by lightning. God gave me this poem to share.)

Comments

Angela Thibodeaux said…
That poem was absolutely beautiful...very visual, and made me think of all that I have suffered in the last year, but also, all that I have been strengthened by with the help of God's Holy Spirit. Thank you Anita!!
July 9, 2010 at 5:50 AM
Ms. HOLLA said…
Anita the very first stanza of the poem (as I read it), I thought of myself, as well as others in the storms of life. You are an awesome writer. You feed us through your words, keep them coming!

Subrina
July 9, 2010 at 3:03 PM
Sherri in Canada said…
Oh Anita, your poem made me cry and made me think of some things I have gone through. God bless you for sharing this!
July 9, 2010 at 10:23 PM
Anonymous said…
God is blessing us with yet another insight into this walk with Him & our drawing deeper into each other as we share. Thank you, Anita, for seeing through His eyes & giving us His words with this poem. Hugs Sylv
July 11, 2010 at 8:19 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Day Time Stopped

Image
February 17, 2020 was the Day Time Stopped. I've struggled for words ever since.  The morning was foggy.   So foggy I couldn't see across the cove. So foggy that Facebook friends were commenting that it was the thickest fog they'd ever seen. Instead of "walking on little cat feet," this fog landed like thick concrete. The phone rang. My sister said there had been a car accident. Our parents were injured. We raced to the hospital in Charlotte. Our daddy died that evening. Our mama died two days later, on the 19th. Time Stopped. Nothing will ever be the same again. ***** The first time we walked back into their house, everything was waiting. The chicken waited to welcome them back home. Daddy's lift chair waited for him to come sit back down. Mama's books and crossword puzzles waited for her to pick them back up. Breakfast dishes waited to be washed. Mama's earrings and "Charlie" perfume waited to be worn. Daddy's Tyson cap waited to be put...
Read more

Rejection, plain & simple

When I was a kid I was NOT athletic in the least. I was a bookworm, loved to read anything I could get my hands on. When we had spelling bees, I usually won. Classroom games were fun for me. But out on the playground was a totally different story. I absolutely hated it when the teacher would pick two team captains and have them choose their team members because I was ALWAYS the last one chosen. In fact, there were times when the “captains” would actually argue over who would HAVE to have me on their team. I’d feel my face burning flaming red with the humiliation, and I’d hang my head and hope nobody would see the tears in my eyes because then they’d taunt me even more about being a cry-baby. My first big dose of rejection – and somehow that feeling never quite goes completely away. With every form of rejection throughout my life, I still can feel that hurt, deep in the pit of my stomach. Recently I’ve had to slog through what seems like an endless pit of cr...
Read more

Love Ya Legacy

I didn’t know Kelly very well. But she made a significant impression on me the first time we ever met. I was visiting at David’s church, for the first time. I knew NOBODY, other than David, and felt more than a little bit self-conscious since I was the “stranger in their midst.” But after the service was over, there stood Kelly. She had reddish hair, and glasses, and a huge smile on her face. “Hey there, my name’s Kelly, and we’re SO glad you are here today!” Then, with a big hug, she added, “Love ya!” And then she bounced down the sidewalk, in search of her husband Kirk. As David and I continued to see each other, I’d attend services at the Winnsboro Church of the Nazarene about every other Sunday. And every Sunday, without fail, Kelly would speak to me, hug me, and before we parted she’d say, “Love ya!” She truly made me feel good. I began to look for her smiling face at church on Sunday mornings. Aside from small chit-chats at church, I only got to really talk with Kelly ...
Read more