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“For we belong to Christ if we keep on trusting Him to the end just as we trusted Him at first.”
Hebrews 3:14 (NLV)

A storm is coming

The weathermen said it was coming. All of them. Arctic air would bring in a storm like never seen in our lifetime. To be perfectly honest, many Texans don’t fall for weather warnings like that. We scoff at lines formed at the grocery store buying bread and water, believing that grocery chains are in cahoots with weathermen to keep sales up.

Forewarned

The forecast never changed. All updates reported winter storm warnings.

A tiny inner voice asks, “What if this really happens?” So, out I went with cloth wraps. Quickly, frustration changed my mind as I tried to gather branches of oleander to shove under the wrap. Looking down, I see a clump of tulips that made the mistake of coming up when they thought it was safe. It made me so sad. I grabbed an old cracked chimenea lid and placed over them.

And the storm hit

The wind blew, the temperature plummeted, the snow and ice came. The wind chill was -18 with no water and rolling power outages for days.

Texans are not prepared for storms like this.

Dealing with the unexpected

An article was published on social media quickly after the storm. Dealing with Freeze Damage on Plants (Greg Grant, February 24, 2021). It basically told Texans this: we don’t know how bad the damage is, we can’t speed up the process, some plants will appear dead but will come back, and, again, just wait it out and see what blooms.

Just as Texas reels from a terrible winter storm, our lives have been damaged by our loss.

There is clear evidence of the loss of our husbands. As I read the article on the damage to plants and trees, I realized how much it speaks of the damage we have suffered due to our loss and grief.

• There is no way of currently knowing the extent of the damage of grief.
• There is absolutely nothing you can do to speed up the healing process of grief.

But we can praise God for this wonderful news…

• Even though some plants may appear to have died themselves, they will come back from their root system.

Our root system is in our personal relationship with Jesus Christ and our trust in Him.

• When they begin to live again, they will grow back vigorously.

Even though blooming might be delayed, my sweet friend,

WE WILL BLOOM AGAIN!

“You must be willing to wait also. Be strong in your hearts because the Lord is coming again soon.”
James 5:8 (NLV)

Remembering the tulip, I went to see how it fared. Under that chimenea lid, the tulip lived. Sheltered from the storm, it was protected. It might not bloom this year, but I know spring will come and one day…

THAT TULIP WILL BLOOM AGAIN!

Oh my sweet sisters, Jesus, Our Savior, is coming again for us.

“May the Lord lead your hearts into the love of God. May He help you as you wait for Christ.”
II Thessalonians 3:5 (NLV)

What will we do now after the storm? We will keep on living, trusting in the plan Jesus had for us from our very beginning.

There is a lesson for us to learn in every season. Whether we were caregivers for a season or lost our precious husbands in a moment, the storm was still unexpected.

Jesus has provided a protective shield over us, and we will sluff of the dead and damaged effects of grief.

We will live and bloom again.

We trusted Him in the beginning, and we will trust Him until we see Him again.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the lessons You have given us through nature. We have seen the damage of unexpected seasons but see new life again as part of Your wonderful purpose and plan. Help us to trust You to the end as we have from the beginning. Amen