In the middle of chaos, peace can be found through Jesus

In the middle of a thicket, overgrown with chaos and winter brown, grows a lesson from God.

Rose hips.

I had never considered rose hips before, but today was different.

God Met Me in the Middle of Chaos

Moments before, whimpering had escaped my lips as I expressed my insecurities to the Lord. In many ways I felt dormant in this winter season of my soul — merely surviving the cold, harsh winds and feeling anything but productive.

My husband’s dementia has spiraled downward the past several weeks increasing the heartache of caregiving and requiring more and more of my depleted self. COVID has ravaged our small mountain community leaving sorrow and fear in its wake. It seems that chaos has embraced our world.

So many days of uncertainty face us –- each of us — and here I am with the blessed assurance of Jesus HIDING beneath the weight of it all rather than taking the hand of others and ministering God’s grace to them!

In the middle of chaos grew gentle-red-hued jewels.

I glanced over at the gentle-red-hued jewels adorning the gnarly mass of briers knotted together with anything but the appearance of peace. Instead of peace, they were placed in the middle of chaos.

Simple beauty declaring God’s glory.

Rose hips are the fruit of the rose — maturing once the bloom is gone.

I thought about the rose and its exquisite beauty. A favorite among flowers, the rose adds grace to the lowliest of cabins and the magnificence of palaces. We celebrate its beauty and get lost in its delicate aroma.

But the fruit of the rose comes after the rose petals have fallen.

The fruit matures in the cold weather, frost sweetening its flavor.

Is this what the Lord wanted me to see?

The outward vibrancy of the rose that everyone adores does not contain the fruit that bears healing properties. Healing is found in the rose hip — that which matures in the winter season while the rose lies dormant and bare — exposed to the harsh winter chill.

That’s when the rose can offer the most healing benefits of boosting immune systems, fighting inflammation resulting in arthritis, strengthening the heart — all from the rose hip that grows and matures after the petals fall and the air is cool with winter’s chill.

In the Middle of Chaos We Can Find Peace

I wonder if the fruit of the Holy Spirit in my life – and in yours — matures best in the winter seasons, too? When our lives feel dormant as we rest from ceaseless activity, when our spirits feel barren and bare — exposed to the harsh realities of a fallen world, or when we see the petals of a life scattered at our feet and we think the beauty has gone … I wonder if that is when the fruit of our lives matures so that we can bring healing benefits to those we encounter, where we, too, can bring peace to the chaos.

Maybe. Probably.

Selah

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Thank you so much for stopping by. I would love for you to share what’s on your heart in the comments below. Scroll a little farther down and you’ll see where you can leave your comments. Together, we can find the nearness of God in our darkest moments.

Sweet blessings to you,

NAN