“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” – Ephesians 4:14-16

The tree is an amazing thing. An amazing thing about the tree is that the lower it gets, the closer you get to the base of the tree, the stronger it gets. The top of the tree bends in the wind. It’s flexible. As storms come, it may break off branches and it may blow its leaves away, but in the end, the trunk is strong. It something that is stable.
An amazing thing about the storms is that when the wind blows through the tree, it actually pulls on the root system ever so slightly and you know what’s happening to that tree? It’s getting a workout. It’s actually getting stronger. As the tree endures a storm it is actually getting a stronger root system, and a stronger trunk, and that is you. Every storm you go through, you will endure because Christ lives in you. Everything you face, you will press through as long as you don’t give up. You are going to endure with faith, not with fear because Christ lives in you. Every time a storm comes, you are only going to get stronger. You’re going to be more prepared for the next storm that comes in your life.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to grow through the storms of life. Help me to see your work and glorify you through these trials. Amen.

REFLECTION: How am I growing stronger as I face the storms of life through faith, not fear?