Overpowering Winds vs. Deep Roots

Trees at Timberline

 At timberline on the high mountain peaks near my home there are beautiful trees. These trees are survivors.  They grow high on rocky slopes where hurricane force winds, vicious cold, and ferocious blizzards threaten them routinely.  Their trunks are twisted and their growth stunted by the difficult growing conditions, but they survive because they have roots that are deep and strong, sheltered by rocks.  Many of these trees are hundreds or even thousands of years old.  They live longer than trees growing in much more hospitable conditions.  

From Henry Photos http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/view?q=Bristlecone%20Pine&psc=G&filter=1#5369309897803670802

Storms Near and Far
It has been a terribly stormy week for many of my dear friends and family.  Within the space of a couple of days I have been told about numerous overpowering sorrows.

There is a newborn baby who spent his first several days outside the womb fighting for his life.
There are teenagers scattered near and far, determined to be stupid.  They are climbing over and digging under all of the boundaries that were erected to keep them alive.
There are older people suffering from debilitating or life-threatening illnesses.
There are family relationships strained by selfishness and addiction.
Many of the people I love are dealing with more than one of these problems at the same time.  It seems too much to bear.  It is crushing.

More Than We Can Bear
I have heard well meaning Christians, trying to be helpful, say "God won't give us more than we can bear. So He must think you are pretty strong."  Actually, not to be dismal here, but God never promises that he won't give us bigger problems than we can bear.  He promises not to allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to bear, but that is not the same thing.

Judging by 2 Corinthians 1:3-10, people are often burdened with problems too big for them. If there has ever been a human who should have been able to handle all the problems that were thrown at him, you would think that the apostle Paul would be that man. But he said, "We were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself..." Paul's problems were so terrible that even he "despaired of life".

Hope
Fortunately, for us, Paul did not stop there.  He contrasted his own despair with God's power over death and revealed one reason that God sometimes does allow us to suffer beyond what we are able to bear.
  

"...But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that He will deliver us again." 

My Prayer
So, for every one of those I love, who are utterly burdened beyond their strength, here is the prayer I am praying for you.

My Father of Mercies, My God of all comfort,
These problems are too much for us, they are crushing us. We can't fix them, and we don't know how to escape from them.  But You are the God who raises the dead.  Even if our problems are so crushing that we despair of life itself, you are more than strong enough.  We choose to put our roots down deep into you. Thank you that you are near to us. These problems will cause us to rely on you and not on ourselves.  You have delivered us before.  Help us again.  Have mercy, Father of Mercies. Comfort us, God of all comfort.  Our roots are driving deeper into you.  Our hope is in you and only in you.
Amen

"The tree on the mountain takes whatever the weather brings.  If it has any choice at all it is in putting down roots as deeply as possible."  Corrie Ten Boom