Sara’s Adventures

Sara went outside in the afternoon breeze, pausing to look at the flowers blowing in the wind.   She noticed certain groups of the flowers were bent. Carefully, Sara tried to stand it back up , but to no avail.  

“I wonder why certain groups of flowers are leaning over. These are the same type over here, and they are standing straight up.”

Sara proceeded to look it up on her phone and began reading, “Plants lean when they are weak and/ or trying to get sunlight.”

Later that evening, Emily and Sara enjoyed roasting hot dogs and s’mores over the fire. 

Emily looked up at the night sky. 

“Emily, do you know how the moon gets its light?” Sara asked as Emily climbed into her lap. 

“Yes, mommy. Remember we read a science book about it. It said, “The moon has no light of its own. It reflects the sunlight.” 

“Good job, Emily.” 

“Mommy, may I go catch fireflies in my jar?” 

“Yes, dear.” 

Emily laughed and enjoyed the chase while  Sara was left with  thoughts racing through her mind, “The moon must rely on the sun for light.” 

The Lord suddenly brought a question to Sara’s mind, “If the moon must rely on the sun light, then why do you think that you must try to live life on your own strength?”

Sara looked at the fire flaming in the fire pit in her front yard. Both the wood  and the flame were needed.  The combination caused a chemical reaction that put off heat for Emily and Sara to stay warm in the cool night air. 

Sara thought back to the days when Brad was fighting cancer. “Lord,  I don’t understand why Brad had to go through so much pain,” Sara thought to herself. 

“What happens when the wood of the fire is consumed?”

“It becomes ash.”

“You may not understand the why the trial comes, but you do not face them alone. I watch over you as I did with Brad.  I called him Home to myself at the perfect time. Death is the last enemy a Child of Mine must face. But the permanent sting of Death that came when sin entered the world is gone. Brad trusted Me as Lord and Savior, so he is safe with Me eternally.”

A tear escaped down Sara’s cheek. She hoped that Emily was too distracted by firefly catching to see her mother crying.

“Because you have accepted Me as Savior and Lord, your last breath brings you safety to My Side.  Life and Hope are in Me. Those who reject Me , they have no Hope or Life . The death and consequences of sin are eternal and permanent.”

“What about my friend Jennifer?”  The grief hit fresh, although she had lost her best friend to suicide a year ago. 

Sara had to pull herself together. She wiped her tears with her arm. “Emily,  it’s time for bed.”

“Yes, mama.” 

“Get ready for bed and when you’re finished , I will tuck you in.”

A few minutes later, “Mama, I am ready,” Emily called out from the front porch.

“Alright sweetheart. Just finished putting out the fire. I am coming,” Sara replied as she walked up the stairs.  In the house, Emily hugged her mama and crawled into her bed. 

“Good night , Mama.”

“Good night, Sweetheart.”

As Sara turned out the lights in the house, grief was lingering.  “What about Jennifer, Lord? She said she knew you as Lord and Savior, but …”

Sara thought back to the flowers she had observed earlier that afternoon.

“Those flowers, were they not the same?” The Lord stated. 

“Yes, but some were straight while others were leaning.”

“Leaning where?” 

“Toward the sunlight.” 

“Exactly, same flowers . Same root system. But the truth is some go through storms that weaken them temporarily. The enemy may convince some that there is no Hope and the situation will not change. But the Truth is, since Jennifer knew Me as Savior and Lord, not even death will separate her from Me.” 

Sara lay in bed, comforted at the thought of seeing both Brad and Jennifer again.  

“Flowers lean to get sunlight.  If the moon must rely on the sun for light, then why do you think that you must live life in your own strength? ” the thoughts echoed in her mind .

Still not all her questions of why were answered,  but the Lord was placing another question on her heart, “Will you lean and rely on Me? Will you trust that I can bring good out of the bad situations?  The why you may go through a trial, may not be because of you. Someone may need to see what Hope is like. What it’s like to have Me at their side in both the valley and mountain top experiences. Sometimes, it’s so your Heavenly Father gets the glory in ways no other human should take the credit. All you have comes from Me , the blessings and provisions. There is more  for you to learn, but you cannot bear it now. For now, will you lean on Me, the S-O-N? 

As Sara drifted off to sleep that night, so much Truth filled her mind, but peace overcame her. It was going to be a restful night of sleep she desperately needed.

The End. 

Scriptures that came to my mind writing this story:

14 “You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden. 15 Neither do you light a lamp and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house. 16 Even so, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. 

- Matthew 5:14-16

25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you don’t believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, these testify about me. 26 But you don’t believe, because you are not of my sheep, as I told you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father who has given them to me is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

-John 10:25-30

1 Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we don’t faint.  2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.  3 Even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled in those who are dying,  4 in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them.  5 For we don’t preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake,  6 seeing it is God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,”* who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

7 But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves.  8 We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair;  9 pursued, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed;  10 always carrying in the body the putting to death of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh.  12 So then death works in us, but life in you. 

13 But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, “I believed, and therefore I spoke.”* We also believe, and therefore we also speak,  14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will present us with you.  15 For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. 

16 Therefore we don’t faint, but though our outward person is decaying, yet our inward person is renewed day by day.  17 For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory, 18 while we don’t look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

-2 Corinthians Chapter 4

28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.  29 For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.§  30 Whom he predestined, those he also called. Whom he called, those he also justified. Whom he justified, those he also glorified. 

31 What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  32 He who didn’t spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things?  33 Who could bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who justifies.  34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes rather, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  36 Even as it is written, 

“For your sake we are killed all day long. 

We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”*

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  38 For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,  39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from God’s love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

-Romans 8:28-39

17 If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins.  18 Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  19 If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable. 

20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruit of those who are asleep.  21 For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man.  22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.  23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s at his coming.  24 Then the end comes, when he will deliver up the Kingdom to God the Father, when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power.  25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.  27 For, “He put all things in subjection under his feet.”*But when he says, “All things are put in subjection”, it is evident that he is excepted who subjected all things to him.  28 When all things have been subjected to him, then the Son will also himself be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all. 

51 Behold,§ I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,  52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.  54 But when this perishable body will have become imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then what is written will happen: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”*

55 “Death, where is your sting? 

Hades,† where is your victory?”*

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

-1 Corinthians 15:17-28 and continued in verses 51-58

*All scripture is from the World English Bible

Flowers that I saw in my yard that the Lord used in helping me create this story.