Hey y'all! I hope y'all are having a great morning so far! I just want to say thank you so much for sticking by my side and reading these blogs! I really appreciate it. Sometimes I feel as if I get so weighed down by the cares and worries of this life, that I forget to look at the beauty in the pain, the beauty in the struggles. That's kind of what I want to talk about today!
As a girl who has roots in California and is a lover of all things warm and sunny, I try to steer clear of ALL things cold. I can not stand the cold! Once I'm cold, I can not get warm! I do, though, enjoy looking at snow-capped mountains or pretty pictures of snow-covered things. Happiness filled my soul when I got on Instagram and saw all the pretty pictures my friends had shared of their front yards covered in snow, or snowmen they built sitting happily on a hill. I noticed in one of the pictures that there was a small tree or bush covered in snow and ice in the my friend's backyard. My happiness soon left, and sadness began to come in. It's bare, stone-cold branches were being weighed down and bowing under the heavy, glittery, sparkling icicles.
I began asking myself questions. How long could those branches last before breaking under the pressure and weight of those icy burdens? Would they make it through the next blizzard or storm? The heaviness of this ice threatening to crack and break this poor tree reminded me of my own shoulders, hunched beneath the weight of my own worries, stress, problems, etc.
In Matthew 6:19-32, Jesus gives affirmation that the greatest of our treasures are not earthly or temporary. He then encourages us to release our anxious thoughts. He reassures that He knows our needs. He loves us and He will provide for us. We do not have to waste our time worrying and stressing. He knows we will be tempted to give into worry. He tells us to come to Him FIRST. He wants us to trust Him, His presence, and His provision. Live by faith, a day at a time if you have to.
At some point in our lives, we will face overwhelming troubles, stormy seas, huge mountains, uncertainties, low valleys, and heavy burdens that may cause our shoulders to droop beneath the weight. While this may temporarily cause us to bend, bow, and sway through the storm, remember that when we trust God, we will NOT break. We may bend, but we will be unbreakable.
"...for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things...and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:32-33
