My husband and I planted some banana trees earlier last year. Each day, there seemed to be new growth. They flourished, growing healthy and strong.
While it is unusual for us to have freezing temperatures in Florida, the weatherman told us near the end of December that freezing temperatures were coming. We covered our banana trees with tarps for a few days to save them from the cold snap. In a few days, the weather turned back to warmer temperatures, and we removed the tarps. To our dismay, our banana plants looked dead! It appeared that our attempt to keep them from the elements was unsuccessful; from the leaves to the stem, they seemed to be goners.
Not willing to give up completely, I went out a couple days later to trim back the dead leaves to see if they could be salvaged, even though I was not sure if they would grow back. Just today, I looked outside, and to my surprise, there are some new leaves growing!
The trials of life can sometimes send us through a bitter cold snap. Often, we focus on our circumstances, not sure if we can overcome our difficulties. We may be doing the best we can, but life’s struggles seem to leave us out in the cold, no matter what we do. In times like these, we must keep our focus on the Lord. His mercies are new and available for us every day! Lamentations 3:22-26 says, It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
Because of Him, we have a fresh start each day. Because of Him, we are not consumed. We must seek Him and wait on Him. Just like those banana trees needed some attention, and then some patience, so that they could get back to thriving, we must take advantage of what God can do to us and for us so that we can overcome our tough seasons and get to growing again. In this new year, new growth awaits for us all!
by April Pineda
