When in Drought...

I never intended for my “Intermission” post to turn into a 3-month-long hiatus, but I guess it perfectly transitioned me into one.

Whenever I would sit down to write, I just couldn’t find the right words - which is really unfortunate when you, well, need to write. My Google Drive is filled with unfinished posts that are more like diary entries than anything. And although those ended up being for my eyes only, I’m glad I wrote them because they forced me to be honest about my feelings.

My heart had started trying to numb them out as a defense mechanism against life’s series of unfortunate events.

I wrote my last post with a new wind of hope from the Lord, and it’s a hope that carried me through my so-called “summer drought.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (MSG) says, “But blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the woman who sticks with God. They’re like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers - Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf. Serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season. The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out.

But I, God search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things...”

These past 3 months have been living proof of this verse for me.

In a number of ways, I felt like I was experiencing a drought in my life that was worse than the drought happening in California. And on one of the driest, hottest, and suckiest days, a good friend of mine told me to “just sing through it.” And so that’s what I did.

My feelings may have been numb and my heart tired and broken, but I made a decision to continue praising. I would worship while I got ready in the morning and on my 20-minute commute and at my desk at work and while I cooked dinner. Some days I felt like it, and some days I honestly didn’t but did it anyways. I realize that what that did was invite the Lord into my day to day, creating an environment - inside of me and around me - filled with faith and hope. It helped me declare His goodness and fill in the gaps where I had no words left to say.

Trust became a byproduct of that. Trusting is believing in the promises of God in all circumstances, even in those where the evidence seems to be to the contrary.

I love that this verse likens trusting the Lord to putting roots down near a river - which means there will always be supply. And even when life starts to bring on heat or pressure or long-suffering, we will never drop a single leaf. No part of us will wilt or die - Not our dreams. Not our heart. Not our joy. Not our hope.

I know it doesn’t really talk about the type of trees that are being replanted in that verse, but I’m a visual person so I’m gonna put a tree to it. A couple months ago I was studying Psalm 92:12 (AMPC) - “The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful]; they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic, stable, durable, and incorruptible]. Planted in the house of the Lord they shall flourish in the courts of our God. [Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment].”

I love this verse for a lot reasons, but especially because of what the palm trees represent.

In the Bible, palms represent “peace” and “plenty.” In nature, they’re found in desert oases and can tolerate low rainfall because of their deep tap roots. Not only are they known by their ability to flourish and grow tall in the desert, but they are also considered one of the most useful trees because they produce a number of things (like dates, sugar, honey, oil, resin, rope, etc.).

Now that I think of it - I guess palm trees wouldn’t really work in that verse in Jeremiah because you don’t really find palm trees planted by rivers. But palm trees are still relevant because you find them in the desert. And regardless of how much you trust the Lord, there are going to be “seasons” in life where you find yourself in a desert (figuratively, and maybe literally if you’re into that)…where you feel dry, numb, or on the verge of a heatstroke...or where you experience a drought and have yet to see His hand or His supply.

That was me. And if you’re there right now, continue to draw near to Him, vibe to some worship music, and hold tightly to the promises of Jeremiah 17:7-8 and Psalm 92:12.

Trusting in the Lord and waiting on Him won’t be useless or disappointing.

And you won’t just survive the drought, but you will flourish through it, like palm trees in a dessert - standing beautiful, tall, and firm in the Lord, useful in His service, bearing good fruit to His glory.

And before you know it, you’ll be Hilary Duff in the closing scene of A Cinderella Story, standing in the rain in victory (another thing palm trees represent, btw)

...sans Chad Michael Murray (but hey - anything is possible, right? haha).

Thank you guys for sticking around while I was trying my best to be like a palm tree in my drought.

I love you. I’m back, and I’m here to stay.

xoxo