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To those who have abandoned their faith: May you find the affirmation you so long for right here, right now. I pray that “Among the Myrtle Trees” gives you the encouragement and motivation to pick up the pieces of your life and run toward Jesus - the One who is the author and perfecter of faith.
To those who have helplessly witnessed a loved one question and abandon the faith that is only found in Jesus: I pray “Among the Myrtle Trees” helps you to better understand their struggle and activates you to be a strong source of prayer, love and support for them.
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Sometimes, running is the only thing we know how to do. Spiritual suffering and fear can snowball into a whole gamut of emotions. We start rationalizing everything and trying to understand the tragedy that surrounds us. “God must not love me; otherwise, He wouldn’t have allowed this to happen.” Better yet: “He must not exist.” Scared, angry and hurt, we run as fast as we can, abandoning the God we feel has abandoned us. Not many can relate to running – and those who can have a hard time admitting it or recognizing it….as I once did. It’s not something we tend to be proud of, not a trophy engraved with WINNER: FASTEST RUNNER FROM GOD to be displayed in our houses. So, as welcoming as those myrtle trees are, it would be an injustice to jump ahead without first pulling the bandages off the hurts and wounds we’ve covered up and hidden within our broken hearts in order to protect ourselves.
In other words, we must uncover our deepest grievances and disappointments, allowing God to work within us. It is then that we realize our quest to find fulfillment and healing from all other sources has failed, leaving us empty. He allowed the run to reveal that He is the only One that can restore our faith. He is the author and finisher of our faith. We must embrace the freedom by understanding that there is no tragedy and nothing to be ashamed of in running. The only tragedy would be not returning to THE ONLY ONE to whom we can and should run. It is in the run we are assured that nothing can separate us from God’s love. Upon discovering that in the run He builds us up for the fight, we realize the whole time we have been running….it’s been in the palm of His hand.
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