Decimated

I am a history & science guy. I would watch History channel all day long, much to the chagrin of my wife. Recently, I saw a special about Mt. Saint Helens. 

The May 18, 1980 eruption was the deadliest & most destructive volcanic explosion in US History. It dramatically changed the landscape in the blast zone in seconds & took the lives of 57 people. Scientist predicted that it may take 100 years for flora & fauna to fully recover. The area surrounding the volcano was decimated.

This is one of the first news events that I remember as a kid. I remember seeing it on TV, my mom describing why the sun looked funny, & drawing pictures of the explosion on scrap paper. It was something that was fascinating to me as I watched on TV. The truth is that all of us deal with events that change the landscape of our lives. It might not be a volcano, but it may be a divorce, loss of job, or a bad report from your doctor.

When we are dealing with our problems, it's easy to think that it's the end of the world. Most of our daily problems are pretty trivial in the big picture. But sometimes our world is rocked by a catastrophe. When these situations occur, it's almost as if the rug has been pulled out from under our feet. Down is up, up is down, & our whole world seems to be in flux.

It's easy to get focused on how bad things are in our lives. Our pain becomes the center of everything. Our problems dominate our thoughts & feelings. We often feel as if we've been victimized by a God who doesn't really understand or care about us at all. Now we might not say that, but we've all probably felt it.

I was talking to someone this week about a problem in their church. They were thinking abourt leaving because of the problem. I let them know that they should try to work out their issues without leaving the church. This is the healthiest thing that we can do, but it also the most difficult. I think God uses pain as a catalyst for change. We often believe that God wants to change our circumstance, but in reality God wants to change us. I firmly believe that God didn't want my friends to leave their church, but wanted to work through that pain to bring growth. It's easy to see that in someone else, but pretty difficult to see ourselves that way.

James 1:2-5 says...

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it.

God  wants to use your junk to grow you. He wants to bring beauty from your disaster. When the world seems to be crumbling, that's when God is at His best. That's when God really wants to mush our lives into a shape that's pleasing to Him. The problem is that we are usually busy whining...me included.

When my life has been rocked by loss of job or prolonged sickness of a child, that's the moment when I really allowed God to just be God. I knew that I couldn't do anything myself & in that moment I was changed.

Just a few years after the eruption of Mt. Saint Helens, scientists were shocked to discover life returning to the area. The thing that really surprised them was that there were things growing & developing that were not present before the eruption. This was a revelation to everyone involved.

When the smoke from the decimation of our lives clears, we will find that God has begun to restore our lives & create something new. He doesn't want to do it on the edge of our pain or the midst of our joy, but in the heart of the blast zone. The place that things seemed the most desolate. That is the place where He will bring new life & restoration.

Give God a chance to heal you & let's see what develops.