Devotions for Disciples

The best view comes after the climb….

We live in a very woods-filled area of our neighborhood; behind our house is an area our grandchildren call a mountain. It is just a hill filled with trees, both dead and alive. For little girls looking up, it must seem like a mountain; for those viewing the terrain from a higher vantage point, it is just a big hill. Of course, perspective is everything, and the vantage point from where you view things around you can make a big difference. Whether a hill or a mountain, the girls have enjoyed exploring the land and finding treasures. Their treasure are pine cones, leaves, rocks, deer skulls, and bird nests. They find joy and beauty even in the struggle of the climb.

This spring, I have watched two stands of daffodils come alive and display their beauty. They have not been there in the past springs we have lived here; I am sure the bulbs have been there; for some reason, they have gloriously pushed through the tall grass and weeds to display their strength and beauty. 

In life, we are given the same challenges. We can view circumstances and pain as a mountain too high to climb, or we can see the beauty in the struggle. Life brings us some heart-wrenching, breath-taking moments where the darkness seems to last forever. I have no idea how long the daffodil bulbs have laid in the dark soil, waiting to announce their presence, but this was the time; their struggle was worth the effort. 

Maybe we see others finding treasures all around us, prayers answered, and miracles bestowed, yet our darkness continues. We wonder when our time will come – the moment when we will find our breath and our pain will be eased. And often, these are the questions that have no definite answers. 

In our little piece of paradise, we never see the glorious sunrise, nor do we get to experience a magnificent sunset. Many a morning, I stand at the kitchen sink and look out over the hill and watch the light come to the sky; I do not see the sun creep up over the horizon; I see the light appear amid the living and dead trees. Though I do not see the transition from dark to light, I experience the beginning of a new day. Like the daffodils, there is beauty in the waiting; a season will pass, and the wait will be over. In Psalm 30:5 (ESV) we are told, “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” 

There is something pretty amazing in our wood-filled place at night; we can see the moon and the stars through the trees when we sit on our back patio. There is beauty in the dark days of life. In order to see the treasures around us, we must sometimes change our perspective; hills and mountains can be climbed, treasures can be discovered, and life can burst forth at the right time and season. Just remember the words of the wise old preacher, King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (ESV).

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

² a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
³ a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
⁴ a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
⁵ a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
⁷ a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
⁸ a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.