Rock Solid

Time passes so quickly. It seems that just a few days ago, we were in the tempestuous days of transition from winter to spring. The seasons appear to find it difficult to change without a tug of war. We enjoyed brilliant spring days with flowering trees and bulbs. It was warm and rainy one day then cold and snowy the next. Then a few days later it was above eighty degrees and we wondered if we would skip directly to summer. Then we suffered a setback: more cold, rainy, days, and with the abrupt changes came some violent storms. As the storms moved off to the east, the temperatures soared once again. Just when we thought we had broken through, we were once again shivering along with the flowers and the trees. The temperatures were achieving a yo-yo effect.

In just a few short weeks we have progressed through the process of budding and blooming and leafing out. We are now completely revitalized. It is hard to remember the bleak, gray, nothingness of winter.

Even though it is only the latter part of May, our landscape is dressed in her summer finery. Our Ozark scenery is arrayed in a varying palette of colors. I don’t remember living anywhere else where we have seen such a vast number of different wildflowers displayed prominently at every intersection and roadside.

My daughter works in a Victorian boutique, and I have been amazed to learn how often the store must be re-decorated and re-arranged. The store is decked out in sumptuous displays that beg you to stop and enjoy them. That shop is conservative in comparison to God’s roadside window dressing. He provides a lavish and ever-changing exhibit of color and texture. I have often been tempted as I sit at an intersection to jump out of my car and scurry around gathering wildflowers in my arms. I have restrained myself so as to not divulge my lunacy to all around, but as I write this, I have no good explanation for not enjoying my surroundings to the fullest.

One of my favorite sights is the roadside bluff. Most of these are not naturally occurring. They were created as the roads were made. The back roads of this area are a vast network of switch- backs, very steeply pitched and full of hair-pin turns. So when they put in the highways; they blasted through the hills to make straighter, safer roads; which provide a more direct route to popular destinations. This blasting has created some very interesting textures and silhouettes.

The layers of rock that are exposed are fascinating to me in themselves; with their contrasting colors. Many times they have darker hues where water is seeping through, or cascading down the face of the bluff. They may have vines twining up their faces like wizened men who have forgotten to shave. Some of these bluffs have been powerfully impacted by the elements. The high water table bleeding through the strata coupled with the very plentiful rain has eroded these rock structures into very interesting monoliths. Some of them appear to have grown out of the ground and seem to be standing as sentinels watching the traffic go by. They are craggy and rough, with a look of age and knowledge. Others peer out from behind their green cloaks of vines, wildflowers, and weeds. Some seem to have a shock of green hair like friendly giants watching from the side. Many of them wear a garland of wildflowers on their heads providing a whimsical contrast to their sober faces. I never cease to gain enjoyment from seeing these reminders of the age and substance of these Ozark hills.

I am reminded that these hills are infants in comparison to our God. The times we are living in are as turbulent as spring weather, but He remains the same. His word is true and there is a reason why the scripture speaks of Him over and over as a rock. (Psalm 18:2, 62:7, 94:22) He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) He is the author and the finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1,3&14)

God will stand unchanged, long after these hills have melted away. (Nahum 1:5, 2 Peter 3:10) He is forever. He is ageless, timeless, and completely steadfast and true. (Proverbs 8:25, Revelation 19:11) He is never surprised, never unnerved, never upset. He knows the end from the beginning and can change any circumstance, but He Himself is unchanged. In these seemingly uncertain times we can be confident that God is still true to His word (Isaiah 46:10). He will do just exactly what He said He would do. (Psalm 33:4)

You may be facing challenging circumstances right now. You may not feel as though you are going to make it. Find a scripture that addresses your problem and hold on to it. It will not fail. It will produce what it says, (Isaiah 55:11) and when the dust settles, you will be standing like one of these bluffs, strong, solid and unmoved!