Renewal

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;

     my body also rests secure.

For you do not give me up to the grave,

     or let your faithful one see the pit.

You show me the path of life.

     In your presence there is fullness of joy;

     in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

                                                                              - Psalm 16:9-11

I live in an older neighborhood, with the streets lined with a canopy of live oak trees. The warm climate, along with the humidity and the shade, make it a perfect environment for resurrection ferns.

I am fascinated by resurrection ferns. Most of the time, they are scraggly-looking, brown, dried-up, curled into little wheels. They look kind of like bad leg hair, only on a tree.

But then, after a rain the drab brown suddenly bursts forth into a beautiful and lush green, with the leaves spreading their fingers toward the sun and waving in the gentle breeze.

Thus, the name: resurrection ferns.

Fun fact: Resurrection ferns can lose up to 97% of their water, and still be revived (though they typically will lose around 75% in their dormant state); most other plants will die if they lose 8-12% of their water. Really. I read about it on Wikipedia, so it must be true.

In the resurrection fern I see a metaphor for life. People go through dry periods, times when they really don't feel very alive. Sometimes those droughts are short-lived, other times they extend for what seems like eternity. Maybe you've lost your sense of purpose, or your vocation no longer inspires you. Maybe your relationships are broken, or are getting stale. Maybe you've lost someone who filled you with joy and laughter, and now there is only sadness.

There are seasons in your life when you feel like the dried-up resurrection fern, aren't there?

Know this, though: the drought you are experiencing is NOT the final word that God speaks to you; it is not your ultimate reality. The psalmist says of God, “You do not give me up to the grave, or let your faithful one see the pit... in your presence there is fullness of joy.”

You see, God's purpose for you is life, not death; it is joy, not misery; it is hope, not despair.

God meets us in the drought. God comes to us, and showers us with his love. God renews his Spirit within us, and gives us new life.

The metaphor takes on extra meaning with
the cemetery in the background

You need to know that God's love and grace and mercy are like the life-giving rain that renews the resurrection fern. What the rain does to the fern, God does to our hearts.

I hope you will experience God's renewing love. Maybe these words will be like precious raindrops to you. Maybe someone will come alongside you and offer you a warm smile. Maybe you will get a phone call or a text message from someone that will encourage you.

I pray that God's love and mercy will be ever so real for you today, that you are renewed like the resurrection fern.