Growth in Adversity

So this past week I have been going through my journals from this past year

and making lists of things I have learned and so much more!

I'll share that with you later. :0)

While I was reading through them, I found some different notes

for SB posts that I never actually took the time to write.

I decided to get them on here finally! :0)

I go on a few trips every year and one of my favorite places to go is Yellowstone National Park.

This last August I was there with my church group.

Beth and I snuck out one morning and went hiking to a bunch of places.

The above picture was taken at Grizzly Lake.

While we were hiking around and enjoying all the nature,

I was contemplating the lodge pole pine trees around the park.

The cones stay on the trees for years waiting for just the right conditions.

They are seal shut by a resin and require temperatures between 113 and 140 degrees

to open and release their seeds.

It only finds these temperatures during a forest fire.

Back in 1988 there was a huge forest fire raging in Yellowstone.

It burned a huge percentage of the park, but the lodge poles' cones opened and released the next generation of forest.

Now, 24 years later new forest is growing for people and animals to enjoy the beauty of nature.

As I was contemplating this I was reminded that many times in life we come up against adversity.

Sometimes we feel like we're drowning in it all--or perhaps burning up.

BUT our lives are just like these forests.  

We need the adversity in our lives to burn away all the choking undergrowth and old trees 

to make way for the new growth we need to become better.

To make way for the new adventures that are coming our way.

To make way for new opportunities that will make use more happy than we ever dreamed possible!

It's pretty cool to think about! :0)

The last few months I have definitely felt the heat of some adversity,
but I really look forward to using everything I've learned to better my life and
to hopefully assist others in their journeys!

So if you are in the heat of adversity in your life,

Hang on!

Ask yourself what you can learn from it.

Ask yourself how you can help others.

 And get ready for the new opportunities that are about to come your way!

Luvz,

Meg :0)