Strength
in the Storm
By
Jeannine Sawall
“That
is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,
in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2
Corinthians 12:10
Between the years 1987-1991, the Biosphere 2
was constructed in Oracle, Arizona. This structure was a 3.14-acre enclosure
built to be an artificial, materially-closed copy of the earth. The purpose of
the structure was to study the interactions between the complex systems that
exist on earth. It included five areas based on natural types of climates and
geography, as well as an agricultural area and a human living/working space to
study the interactions between humans, farming and technology with the rest of
nature.
The experiments they conducted while the
biosphere was in place occurred over several years. Some of the results were
exactly what they expected, however, some of the conditions that began to be
problematic were surprising. One of the problems that cropped up was with the
trees. While the Biosphere 2 mimicked the earth’s geography, it could not
produce the natural variations that occur in the earth’s weather. The trees
grew branches that while perfectly tall and straight, began to snap and break
off. This weakness was caused by lack of stress wood. Because the growing
conditions inside the biosphere were climatically perfect, the normal stress
created by the twisting and turning storms that winds create, were absent.
Because they experienced no storms, the branches grew, but, while looking
picture perfect, did not develop the strength needed to carry their load. While
growing in perfection created a tree that was pleasing to the eye, it had no
depth of strength. (1)
We might hope life held more perfection and
less stress at times, but we need to understand, it is during the storms in our
lives that we learn where our inner strength comes from - - from the Lord
above. It is when it seems the winds and the waves will overcome us, we learn
not to depend on feelings, because they are not indicators of truth, but to
depend on the Truth of God to sustain us. It is during these storm-tossed days
we learn the character of God and who He really is.
While storms are not fun, they are necessary
to grow trees that are strong and mighty, and they are necessary to grow women
of God who are strong and mighty, as well.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Are you going through a storm in your
life? Ask the Lord to help you through
it and to give His strength in the midst of it.
FURTHER READING:
(1) James
Danoff-Burg, The Determiners of Climate, http://www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/seeu/bio2/restrict/modules/module09_content.html,
(12/11)
Jeannine is a wife and active mother of four
boys. She works in property management and is a part of the Special Events team
for Oakwood’s We Women ministries.
