Hi ~

Years ago when I was homeschooling my children, we watched the Moody science videos together (VHS, of course). I never forgot the story of the lodgepole pine, the pine cone that stays tightly closed, like this (you may need to enable images):

until the heat of a forest fire causes the cone to open and release its seeds.

Counterintuitive, yes?

Then after the forest fire sweeps through the forest and devastate it, a few years later it looks like this:

Those are young lodgepole pines.

Amazing.

Of course, the appropriate message here is probably something about resilience after trauma. This resilience is mind-blowing and utterly inspiring.

But it also reminded me of something Jesus said, in John 12.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”

It’s definitely opposite thinking.

And for those who have been abused, it can seem repugnant.

But do you know what words our Lord Jesus spoke JUST before those words right there? (I cut them out of the beginning of the quote up there.)

“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”

He was about to die.

And He was about to rise again!

Just like the forest fire brings devastation that is almost beyond comprehension, and it looks like nothing but death, death everywhere.

But there is a seed . . .

And the seed will take root . . .

And that forest will be revitalized.

Our Lord Jesus went to die, but that was only the beginning of His greatest glory, the gathering to Himself of His wonderful family.

And oh my friend, do you see that He says the same for you?

“Whoever loves his [physical] life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world [counts it as less important] will keep it for eternal life.”

But don’t cringe back. Let’s tackle it head on.

This is not about daily dying to self. (As I’m hoping to lay out in my next book, daily dying to self is nowhere in the Bible.)

This is about the spiritual death and resurrection He promises in Himself.

This physical life is hard, no doubt about it. It is sometimes devastating.

But there is a spirit realm, a Kingdom . . .

And our lives can take root there . . .

Even as we do our best to make wise decisions in this life, keeping our children safe, keeping ourselves safe, recovering from abuse, trying to cut through the fog of confusion. . . .

There is something more. Never forget that the glory of the Lord is ahead.

With you in seeking to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom,

Rebecca

Untwisting Scriptures at Here's the Joy

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Trauma-informed book coach at Rebecca Davis WordWorking

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