By Brad Hutchcraft
My lawn was green and inviting. A few days later, it was brown and dying, in the worst shape I've ever seen. What happened? A life-robbing sneak attack from a tiny but nevertheless insidious visitor. Armyworms.
I had never heard of armyworms. I still know little about them. But here's what I do know: They come, they attach themselves to a healthy lawn, and they suck the life right out of it.
About two thirds of my backyard now more closely resemble the area where we lived in the desert of Arizona than it does the green haven it did a few short weeks ago.
Look, it's just a lawn and the grass will return. But let's face it - this happens to us personally, too.
Maybe you've been there - things have been going well, you're feeling healthy, and then that unseen threat causes things to take a quick turn. The awful news that seems to almost immediately suck the air out of the room. The broken friendship that once seemed unshakeable. The financial hit that's left you wondering how you will provide for those you love. The loss of a loved one that has left you grasping for hope.
What was healthy and growing in your life moves from green and lush to brown and arid, seemingly in the blink of an eye.
I have good news! There is a way back to life. Look, my lawn is looking pretty dead, but I texted a friend who knows lawns. He quickly assessed the situation, knew the way to get rid of the issue and how to start moving towards healing.
It's the same first step for you. Whatever has left you feeling depleted or even devoid of hope is no secret to the One who created you. God made you, He knows you best, and He is in the restoring business.
"The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
He leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength." (Psalm 23:1-3 - check out all of Psalm 23!)
He renews our strength.
"Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him!" (Psalm 34:8)
He is good, and we can find shelter in Him during the storms.
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed." (Psalm 34:18)
He brings us back from the edge even in the hardest of times.
Most importantly, Jesus straight-up defeated death. So now, it's not just hope on this side of eternity but eternal hope when we choose to follow Jesus.
"We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and He will never die again. Death no longer has any power over Him. When He died, He died once to break the power of sin. But now that He lives, He lives for the glory of God." (Romans 6:9-10)
As I was reminded thru my lawn that things can change for the worse in the seeming blink of an eye, that's not where the story ends. With God, being restored, renewed, and made whole again is possible. I've seen Him do it over and over. Not always in the way I want or the timetable I'd choose, but He is faithful and He has never failed me.