Peace has been stripped away, and I have forgotten what prosperity is. I cry out, “My splendor is gone! Everything I had hoped for from the LORD is lost!” The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends!His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” – Lamentations 3:17-24

I’ve had the privilege to live in some pretty amazing places in the U.S. Places that showcase the wonders that are caused by erosion. Erosion can carve deep canyons, uncovering sheer red-rock walls and inspiring wonder in all who experience the drops and beauty.

 

Erosion can chip away at a surface, leaving windows that reveal the beauty just past what seems to be an impassable obstacle.

 

 

Erosion can carve inviting secret hiding places that offer shelter and spark the imagination.

Erosion can form a bridge that shows a clear and straight path to something that may have been obscure before.

Erosion chips away the flaky and temporary. It leaves the bedrock… the strong foundation, that with each bit of erosion only becomes taller, more prominent and obvious.

 

Sometimes our lives are like that. Chronic illness is erosion of the most potent kind. It chips away all of the temporary, all of the superficial, all of the unnecessary. Often what gets chipped away feels necessary, vital in fact.

But just as with erosion in nature, we can trust that the changes, however painful, will reveal a beauty that would never have been known if not for the loss.

If we depend on God through the process, our canyons will reveal his beauty.

 

If we search our trials with God’s eyes, we will see the beauty revealed by the erosion in the seemingly impossible obstacle.

If we lean into our Father in the hard times, He will be sure to use our erosion to provide hiding places in the cleft of His rock.

 

The erosion I am going through will provide a more clear path straight to God, if I am only willing to follow even when my steps are slow and heavy. It can bridge my old life and the beautiful one to come.

Most importantly, if I have a foundation on the solid rock of Jesus Christ, all of my loss and erosion, every trial that I endure will cause others to see only Him. It will showcase His height, His strength and His glory.

 

Yes erosion can be a beautiful thing. Today I challenge myself, and all of you, to focus on what we will become, and what we can do for Christ, instead of focusing on what we have lost. To God be the Glory…. great things He has done… and will continue to do!

Dear God, thank you for offering us such beauty in the midst of all we endure. Please help us to always stand on the solid rock of Your love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…

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May God Bless You,

Shelly