We enjoy bright, sunshiny days when everything seems to be going right. We tilt our faces upward, close our eyes, and bask in the wonder of the day. It’s easy to get along with others and keep a positive attitude when all’s right with the world. But what about those days when the clouds roll in? What do we do with them?
Proverbs 15:15 in the Passion Translation holds the key: “Everything seems to go wrong when you feel weak and depressed. But when you CHOOSE to be cheerful, every day will bring you more joy and fullness.”
Take a look at the picture that accompanies today’s post. When we focus on the dark clouds, we can’t see the light of day. We mope and pout, gripe and complain. We ruminate on our what-ifs and if-onlys. We lose our purpose. We blame God, everyone, and everything around us for the mud we’re stuck in. We can’t see what others need because all we see are the clouds in our lives. The longer we look at them, the bigger they grow. Our lives become like barren trees with no life left in them. We all know that lifeless trees do not produce fruit or offer protection from the elements to those around them. (Study that first picture for just a moment. I’ll wait.)
BUT! When we reframe our pain as the very thing that’s forced us to grow, we turn it upside down. We begin to focus on all that’s good. We even learn to be grateful for what it’s taught us. As I tell my grandchildren, “It’s a good day when you learn something new!” (Now, study that second picture for another moment.)
Notice that I didn’t say we would never have a cloudy day. We can blame Satan for that! Jesus said, “In this world you WILL have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)
We get to choose whether to trust God. We can turn hurt on its head and trust God to use it for good. We can choose to look THROUGH the dark clouds and focus on God’s marvelous light. That makes all the difference in the kind of tree our lives produce. Even if our circumstances don’t change, we offer safe shelter so others can find rest.
Turning our hurt upside down allows us to do what Paul said matters most. We choose to express our faith in love. When we choose to trust and be comforted by God’s love, we can share all we’ve received with those around us. We choose to see our what-ifs and if-onlys as the very things that help us look more like Jesus. Our barren-tree lives become lush and full as we flourish in our happy certainty that we are held by God. We look at our past and say, “So what!” and eagerly focus on “what now?”
“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NLT)
