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Embracing the Uninvited

  • Marnie Hammar
  • December 13, 2022
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The rain battered the canopy of trees that border my backyard. The winds curved the limbs and the last leaves relented, piling together on the grass below.

It happens every year. The rain and winds force the lingering leaves to the ground. We know those leaves that haven’t dropped yet, will.

And every year, it bothers me.

It bothers me that change comes at us. It bothers me that we have no say in the matter. It bothers me that the wind and rain can sweep through and take what we’re holding, leaving our limbs bare.

I’ve never been a fan of change. Most people aren’t. I like what’s comfortable. What works. What’s predictable.

But as I stare at the empty brown limbs, the shadow of summer’s shade, I wonder: If I had to choose to change on my own, how many seasons would I miss? How long would I stay stuck, holding onto brown wilted leaves?

My own hardest seasons, the one that bared my limbs, are the very ones that forced the most beautiful change. The hardest uninvited rains and winds ushered in unprecedented growth. As the leaves I once hid behind loosened, I found freedom. The curving and the stripping forced my roots deeper. The emptying allowed the growth I needed but wouldn’t have chosen.

God knows we don’t always choose to let things go. He knows we won’t choose hard places to grow through. And He knows where we’re stuck.

So, He allows the rain and wind to loosen our grip on what was. He allows limbs to bend and boughs to empty to expose what is. And then He pulls us close, to hold us and grow us for what will be.

Let’s not miss the promise of what’s ahead.

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Marnie Hammar

Marnie Hammar writes to encourage women that freedom isn’t found in perfectly completed checklists, but in knowing God deeper and hearing Him louder. You can find her most often on the soccer sidelines cheering with her hubby of 28 years for their boys (17, 14, & 11). Marnie hangs out on Instagram, on Facebook, and at her website, where you can subscribe to receive a free resource, A Listening Guide and Prayer Map, to help you capture your prayer time as you listen for His voice.

1 comment
  1. Nikki S White says:
    December 13, 2022 at 5:10 am

    So good, friend, and so needed in this season.

    Much love and great gratitude for your words that drop straight into my heart.

    xo

    Reply

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