One of the things I enjoy about fall is the cool early morning drives with dew on the ground and the thin layers of fog that you can observe across a meadow. The view is especially enhanced when the sun is making the ground come alive in bright colors and the sky is a beautiful shade of blue with white, fluffy clouds. If you’ve ever descended Route 417 into Rocky Grove on a foggy morning, you know what I’m talking about. There are some days when the fog completely engulfs the grove and the only thing you can see is the cell phone tower rising out of the sea of white.

Those who know me would tell you that summer is my favorite season but fall comes in a close second. If there is any negative I could identify about fall, it would be that it leads us into winter, my least favorite season. But even winter has its beauty. It just takes a little more self-determination for me to find it. But that is a determination that pays off in a positive way.

Life is full of ups and downs. We have those mountain top experiences that we wish would never end and we have the deep valleys from where we wonder if things will ever be the same. In the depths, it is good to keep our minds set in a positive direction. It can be difficult, but it is worth the effort.

As a person of faith, I find that my strength to overcome adversity is in my relationship with God. He never promised us that we wouldn’t have trouble, but he does say that in times of trouble, he walks through with us (see Psalm 23:4).

My question for you today is; where do you find strength to keep going when life gets you down? It is important to have that rock to hold onto when life’s waves would drag you under. And as we get through a tough time, you will find that you come out stronger and with more confidence that you can handle life’s challenges.

If you’re going through a struggle today, my encouragement would be for you to look for beauty. It is there and it will help to get you through.

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13 (ESV)

Blessings,
Pastor Randy