Within a month, our community had been affected by two hurricanes. The first, Hurricane Hermine, had hit us directly – leaving in its wake fallen trees, power cuts and broken lives. A month later, the second storm, Hurricane Matthew, barely grazed us, but its path of destruction only heightened our sense of anxiety as we watched the devastation from afar. During this time, I was struggling with my own storms and the brokenness of family problems.

Still on edge, after the second storm, I walked by a neighbour’s tree, which had been cut nearly in half by Hurricane Hermine. Since then, the broken branches had been removed and the deep cut in the tree had been sealed. When I looked closer, I noticed new leaves breaking out of the cut. Amazed, I examined it more closely and saw a fresh new limb forming out of the dead-looking part of the tree.

This immediately lifted my spirits and brought deep hope into my day and my life. I thought of the passage about new life forming from the broken, dead stump of Jesse and the way in which that new root ultimately brought the hope of Jesus. Whether brought on by nature  or human frailty and sin, whenever the storms of life threaten to over- whelm us, God’s deep grace and peace will intercede.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for reminding us that you are with us in all the storms of life. Amen