In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. – Ecclesiastes 7:14
Many times God has used the outdoors, which I love very much, to teach and guide me. Years ago I was going through a trial that had lasted six months, and I thought I could not go on. I was unemployed and worried about how my family would survive. Although I had not made enough money to pay my bills, they were paid somehow and we had everything we needed. Despite that, I started questioning God. “Isn’t there another way to do this? People will think I’m just waiting for someone to help me.” I did not like those feelings. I kept hoping God would provide a job for me, but nothing happened. It seemed my prayers were not going anywhere.
Our state had been having a lot of storms that year. On a Sunday morning after church, another storm was coming close. While I was fixing lunch, we heard loud chirping from outside and my daughter went to see if the robin eggs on top of our gutter spout had hatched. She found the nest on the ground and the eggs scattered. With tears in her eyes, she asked me to help the mother bird. I put the eggs back in the nest, wrapped a wire hanger around it to strengthen it, and then hooked the other end of the hanger to the gutter spout. I didn’t know if it would stay, but I had done all I knew to do.
We went inside and prayed that the bird would come back and the eggs would hatch. My daughter kept checking to see if she was there and finally cried, “Oh Mom! She’s back and sitting on the nest!”
Later that afternoon, while I was praying in my bedroom, the storm finally hit. The wind was ferocious. I could hear things hitting the house and was fearful a window might break. I was also praying for the little bird to be safe, and kept checking on her. She was sitting there calmly, with the storm blowing all around her. I was amazed that she could sit there within inches of the blowing sheet of rain! She went through the storm with her head and tail held high.
As I checked on the bird periodically, God was revealing to me that if the nest had not fallen before the storm hit, I would not have strengthened it with the hanger, so it would not have survived the fierce wind and rain. I realized then that not having a job was causing me to pray more, strengthening me spiritually. God was preparing me so I could go through tougher storms without fear, like that bird. He showed me that no matter how close and ferocious the storm, all I needed to do was just trust Him.
God has so much wisdom! He knows the very thing we need to keep us hanging on. Let’s purpose to trust in Him only, because only He knows what the future holds.