How The Green Beauty In Scotland Changed My Perspective On Rain

I was captivated by the view! The beautiful green trees, bushes, and grass against the blue water was breathtaking.

Standing in Scotland with my husband at this gorgeous overview was a dream come true! 

As I stared at the landscape around us, I just kept saying, “Look at all the green- it is stunning,” And then it hit me, You don’t get all this green beauty without the rain.

It was like God was whispering to my soul—There is a purpose to the storms in your life. Without the rain, you will never become the beautiful masterpiece I created you to be.

Friend, this is true for you too!

I believe God has a plan to use the unexpected storms in your life to grow you into the most beautiful version of you!

This is the message in my book, Depth: Growing through Heartbreak to Strength. I ask on the back cover, What is your greatest heartbreak catapults you to your greatest growth?

This is what happened in my life. The hardest year of my life because the most growing year in my faith.

If you find yourself in the middle of difficult times right now and you are questioning where is God in the midst of it, let me remind you of three truths!

1. Just like the months and months of rain in Scotland turn the island into a beautiful green garden, God will not waste one tear from the heartbreak you are walking through. He will use each drop to grow something in you.

Maybe He wants you to be more dependent on His strength, not your own. Perhaps He wants to make you more compassionate and empathetic to others. Could it be He is growing your patience by putting you in circumstances that require waiting on Him and His perfect timing?

I am not sure the exact details you are walking through, but I am confident that God will redeem it all.

2. I think many of us want the green pastures of life without going through the storms. What if we could look at the rain with different eyes? What if we could ask God to open our spiritual eyes and sharpen our eyesight to see what He is doing in and through us as the showers begin?

Oh friend, this is not easy. I think seeing life through God’s lens is a skill that takes a lifetime to develop. But I believe having a different perspective is key to seeing the green in the middle of the downpour.

3. God is still writing your story! This hardship you are experiencing is not the end of the book; it is just one chapter in your life.

Maybe you need to hear this truth today: God is not done with His plans for you!

Perhaps like me, you cannot see how God can redeem all the hurt and pain. I remember in the middle of my divorce struggling to see how anything good could come of this. All I could see was a broken family, a crushed heart, and the shattered pieces of my life before me. I had no idea God’s plan to put them back together in such a beautiful way.

I never imagined a ministry would be birthed from this heartbreak: A blog, a podcast, a book, speaking opportunities—all with the goal of encouraging others and sharing how God brought beauty from the ashes of my life.  If he did it for me, He can do it for you too!

Reflecting about all of this, I grabbed my husband’s hand as we stood on that bluff looking out at the blue sea and the green foliage. Another answered prayer was standing before me! For years, I prayed for God to bring me a man with depth of faith into my life, a man who loved Jesus as much as me. I believe with all my heart that God brought David into my life at just the perfect time.

Friend, I want to encourage you—God will bring the answer to your prayer at just the perfect time too!

My hope for you is that as you wait, you can trust God will do immeasurably more than you can ever hoped or imagined (I love Ephesians 3:20).

I pray that every time you feel a drop of rain or see the beautiful green landscape around you, you will remember that God never wastes the storms in your life. Each tear you cry waters the ground and fertilizes the soil of your heart as God continues to chisel you into the masterpiece He created you to be!

Cheering you on friend! Praying we can all embrace the chisel!

Love, Jodi