When the storm strikes

I'd just been out of bed not more than ten minutes when my cell phone sounded an alert. It was the most irritating sound and one I'm sure they'd chosen because of that fact. It was something that definitely could not be ignored, so I reached over to shut it off. Before pressing the cancel button, I noticed a symbol on my phone that I hadn't seen before. This symbol was a red, upside down triangle and inside the triangle was an exclamation point. Now my curiosity was peaked. I had to click on the symbol to find out what it meant. 

The alert I'd received was a severe weather alarm. It said, "Heavy Rain Event." I'd watched the news last night and knew it was supposed to rain, but for an alert to be sent out, the National Weather Service must have felt we were under some amount of danger. 

Within just a few minutes of receiving the alert, the rain began to start. I heard it pelting the windows in the dining room as I enjoyed my breakfast. It began to rain harder and the wind began to blow forcing the rain to come in heavy, straight lines. I thought about all the trees around our house. We have so many large trees and most of them are pines. I offered up a silent prayer asking God to keep our home safe. Pine trees are notorious for having shallow root systems and if the ground was saturated, chances are one or more of them would fall. 

And then it hit me. A quote, I'd read many years ago, popped into my mind. “At the timberline where the storms strike with the most fury, the sturdiest trees are found.” This beautiful quotation came from a renowned Christian author, James Hudson Taylor. (Mr. Taylor had been a missionary to China during the late 1800's.) What a deep and profound quotation. I let it ruminate in my mind for a few minutes and couldn't help connecting it to my journey.

One thing I've wanted, since the inception of my breast cancer blog, is for my readers to really understand how important my faith is in my survivorship. Without a deep faith in God, I would not have been able to weather this storm...this breast cancer trial in my life. Mr. Taylor's quote offers the perfect symbolism to my journey through the rigors of breast cancer. In order to stand firm in the storm, it's imperative to have sturdy, strong, deeply seated roots of faith. It takes a long time to develop that root system and the only way it can be developed is through experience. Previous trials and testing provide the experience and help develop tried and true faith. By experiencing God's faithfulness during times of difficulty, it becomes easier to trust when the next trial comes. The roots grow down deeper. The tree becomes sturdier. It isn't always easy to stand firm in the storm. Sometimes we bend and stretch...almost to the point of breaking but if the roots are strong...if the tree is planted on a solid foundation, it will stand firm in the storm.

The rain continues to fall and the wind is picking up again. As I watch, I see the trees along our property line and then are standing firm, like tall soldiers all in a row. The frontline...the ones who take the brunt of the storm...I want to always be planted firmly and ready to weather any storm that comes, just like those trees. How about you? Can you stand firm in the storm or do you fear you might break into pieces? If your root system is deep and your foundation is secure, you never have to fear when storm clouds appear. "At the timberline where the storms strike with the most fury, the sturdiest trees are found." I think Mr. Taylor was a very wise and godly man. Stand fast and trust. God allows the storms for a reason.

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