You Were Made in His Image to Rough Through the Storms
What in the world do snowflakes have to do with courageous faith in turbulent times? If you look at a random snowflake under a magnifying glass or microscope, you’ll immediately see they are not random at all. Rather, they are the most exquisite, complex, perfectly formed, ice crystal kaleidoscope works of art. Snowflakes scream there’s a Creator.
It is commonly said that while they are similar, no two snowflakes are identical. But there’s something else that I bet you didn’t know about snowflakes. An individual snowflake begins as a tiny droplet of super-cooled water which freezes in the sky to create an ice crystal. However, they are shaped into their mesmerizing designs as they fall from the sky some six miles above the earth. While they are falling, these tiny pieces of frozen water are buffeted by the atmospheric conditions. The wind, pressure, and temperature create turbulence that actually works together with the hand of God to chisel these unique and beautiful patterns.
In other words, a snowflake’s beauty and design are shaped by turbulence and storms. And because every snowflake has a completely unique journey to earth, each one is shaped a bit differently.
Just like snowflakes, all humans are similar, while at the same time each person is unique with individual DNA, fingerprints, and personalities. The Lord told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart” (Jeremiah 1:5 NIV). He was talking to Jeremiah about his specific calling as a prophet, however, the same holds true for us. God knew us, formed us uniquely, and set us apart for a distinct purpose.
Consider these fascinating words from the apostle Paul. “And He [God] has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being . . .” (Acts 17:26-28). Wow. Can you believe that? Not only did God specifically make you, but He also specifically placed you in this exact moment and location in time.
God knows where you are because in Him you live and move and have your being. That means your challenging storms are in Him too. God is that big. The whole universe is inside of Him. Yet, He is as close as your breath so you would grope for Him and find Him, especially in your storms. The biblical meaning for grope is to reach and feel around for something desperately like in the darkness. God wants us to reach out and find Him in our darkest moments. He is there. Jesus led the disciples into that storm on the Sea of Galilee so they would find out that He was right there with them, and they could trust Him, that He was never out of control.
Don’t get me wrong. There are many happy moments we celebrate and enjoy in this life. God uses them too. He wants us to be content and fulfilled, walking in our destiny. He wants to give us a future and a hope. Life is not all about storms. This is not a negative, downer message. Yet, the reality is we live in a fallen, messed up world where painful, frustrating, and overwhelming stuff happens. Christianity is not a self-help course. Jesus wasn’t about being happy, happy, happy all the time. He’s about giving us peace and joy and strength in whatever circumstance we find ourselves in. Happiness is determined by our circumstances, peace and joy are not. Though it may be dark right now, joy will come in the morning.
Along with being created uniquely, each one of us are at unique seasons in our lives and the storms and promptings of the Holy Spirit are unique to that season. Some are more turbulent than others, but all equally important. The way we respond has everything to do with how we move forward, even if our response is simply holding on to His hand, crawling into His lap, and trusting. Sometimes that’s all we can do. The Lord knows that.
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