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What Looks Like the End, Is Actually the Beginning…the Beginning of a Miracle

Have you ever looked at tree limbs that looked lifeless in winter? Bare limbs with no leaves…It’s easy to assume from the outside that the tree may be dead…Or, maybe that the tree should be cut down because it isn’t producing anything beautiful. YET, underneath the surface, roots are thriving, and the tree is getting water to sustain itself, so that it can bring forth leaves again when it is the appointed time. 

In life, what looks like the end of something, may actually be the beginning…the beginning of a miracle. 

It always amazes me when I see the first buds on what appeared to be a lifeless tree limb. That is one reason spring is one of my favorite times of the year. It is a great reminder that holding on to hope is worth it…especially when you have been going through an incredibly difficult season. Once the buds become visible, it seems like overnight, the leaves burst forth and create vibrant green on what once looked like a lifeless tree. 

When we are going through a challenge, or when things appear to have no hope, that is not the time to throw in the towel and give up. If you hang in there, and let your roots go down deep in the living water of the Word, just like that tree, you will be amazed at the “leaves” that await you on the other side of what appeared to be a barren and difficult landscape in your life. 

Stay rooted and stay grounded in the true Life Source: The Word of God, and watch and see what He will do! 

Pete’s Perspective: 

“Welcome Home!” 

There were really no words to describe the joy that I felt in my heart when I courageously walked back with my new pal, Will, to Jigsaw and saw this from a distance. 

Not sure what to expect as I approached my town, this huge banner greeted me as the puzzle pieces cheered and waved and had a cake waiting just for me. This memory is etched in my heart forever. 

When I walked away from Jigsaw, I felt that a chapter in my life had completely ended. I had no idea that my eyes would be opened to the reality of how valuable I truly was in the big picture. Before God had a friend meet me in a very lonely place,  I had tried everything to fit in exactly where I was, and in my mind, I convinced myself that I didn’t fit in there. 

Walking past the “Thank You for Visiting Jigsaw Sign”, I didn’t plan to come back. One of the scariest feelings in my life was when I was walking away from the town I had known forever, and entering somewhere new. I had no idea what to expect. 

I walked alone for quite awhile, until I saw a nearby log, and allowed myself the opportunity to sit down and cry. That numb feeling finally wore off, and now all I was feeling was an overwhelming sense of emotion…of loneliness…not what I was expecting to feel when I left. 

Because I had tried to be anybody but myself, I hadn’t given the people in Jigsaw the chance to really get to know me. And, I felt the easiest thing to do was start over and end that chapter by going somewhere new. 

BUT, I didn’t realize at this point that until I accepted myself for the way I was created instead of trying to be a carbon copy of someone else, I wouldn’t be able to find fulfillment anywhere. 

I didn’t know at this moment of being beyond despair, that God was about to set up a miracle in my life. He is so merciful to do that, even in our darkest moments, failures, or mistakes. He allowed someone to come across my path that would speak life and hope into my heart. God met me that day on a lonely park bench. This defining moment changed everything. 

God works in mysterious ways…whether He speaks through the Bible, the words of a new friend, or in ways that we can personally understand. I finally understood this when a series of events got my attention. 

He can do the same thing in your life, too. Pay attention to how He is working, and smile when a friend speaks a word of encouragement just when you need it, or a Bible verse fills your heart with new hope and puts a spring in your step and joy in your heart. God is speaking directly to you to remind you that He is able to do more in your life than you can even imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

What I thought was the beginning of my journey in a new town, was actually God redirecting me into my purpose and having me meet a new friend along the way, too. Not only that, it was an opportunity to see with fresh eyes the perspective of the beauty that awaited me in Jigsaw as my puzzle piece friends and I were about to form a big picture that I needed to help complete. 

I hope you see with fresh eyes today, too, how special you truly are and how you are so needed in the big picture. 

Your Pal, 

Pete