Calm in the Chaos
“Ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the seainform you. Which of these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” (Job 12:7-10)
I had come apart to this lonely place to pray, to hear from God, to birth a change. Day after day, I grappled with my reality versus my desires. Each day I looked at my lack and pled for God’s intervention. My fervent desire was to hear Him release me from the things that had become too much.
I sat surrounded by a forest of green- green trees, green trunks, green leaves, green ground covering, so lush and beautiful. Yet I hungered for less clutter and more simplified views- landscapes of rolling simplicity. But that is not what He had arranged for me. That was not the beauty He had in mind.
As I studied the acres of undisturbed nature, the Lord drew my attention to the details in the trees. The squirrels playing chase around the tree, up and down, scattering leaves and bark in their wake. I saw dead trees, tree stumps covered in ivy, tall majestic trees, and spindly, hunched over trees. Together, they created a wild sort of beauty.
Even nature recognizes God’s sovereignty as trees lift up their branches in praise. The birds lift their voice in twittering adoration. None of the creations I saw struggled with their destiny, or their purpose. No, each one, created without will, trusted simply and without complaint. The tree providing shelter, the squirrels and birds scattering seeds, the fallen trees returning to earth to nurture new growth…all doing so, without question. In the chaos, there was a certain order of things. A calm.
As I sought for release, I heard instead God wooing me to trust. Trust as His creation trusts. Bring Him glory in this season, in this place where I am planted. In isolation, little was beautiful, but the combined effect was breathtaking- so raw and real. I saw myself in each, a little tree struggling to grow upright in spite of gale winds, and people who would try to crush and uproot it underfoot. I saw myself in the fallen trees, where so often I forfeited nourishment, and fell over in the death of hopelessness. I saw the new sprigs of life springing up, here and there; just where you would least expect it. It spoke of the hope that I was beginning to see.
I watched and wondered, suddenly thankful this was not mine to oversee. The chaos would bring me relentless stress. But here, before God, each part contributed as God willed. Ah. Suddenly it came into focus. The clutter of my life is not mine to fix. The axis of my life does not spin on my wisdom nor do the rotations continue according to my knowledge. Rather, it is as He, Creator God, has foreordained.
In the chaos and simplicity, I surrendered. Yes, Lord, I will trust you here, when I cannot see the river beyond the dense forest. I will trust you here, when life causes me to stoop over. I will trust you because I am Your creation and You know what you are doing- at all times. I lift my voice, with all of creation, and declare the vastness of God. And here…now…it is enough.
And He is a rewarder of those who seek Him…
Thank you for the reminder that God is charge, even when we don’t see or feel it. I am glad that you were able to get away from all the hustle and bustle of the world, and recharge.
Beautiful imagery and a profound truth. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Sherri, for this beautifully written, poetic reminder that we need to sit back and trust God. I, too, find peace and closeness to God in His creation.
At first I wanted to know what your struggle was about, but by the end of your post, I realized it didn’t matter! It doesn’t matter what I’m struggling with – God knows all about it and He is in control!