“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.” John 12:24

New beginnings often happen because something else has died. What was once vibrant and alive all of the sudden becomes stagnant and restrictive. Maybe the environment didn’t really change – you did. And, no matter how hard you try to hang on to what you know, you can’t help but feel that you are being pushed out of the nest against your will.

Change is inevitable…

I walk anywhere from two to four miles each morning. It’s my prayer time. I am usually lost in conversation with my Father as worship music pipes through my earbuds. The only thing that grabs my attention is the occasional passing walker that nods good morning. But not this day. In the midst of my semi-cognizance of my surroundings, I became acutely aware of my actions.

The crunching feeling of fallen pecans on my path was strangely satisfying. I had felt myself sidestepping for quite some time but didn’t really notice that it was deliberate until the crunch became louder than my music. So, I lowered my eyes to watch my feet; and then I smiled. Amidst the green pecans were small worms – the kind that changes into things with wings. For every pecan that I squashed, there was a worm that I stepped over.

And then, the Teacher began the lesson: Pecans are drupes that contain a seed. Until the husks are crushed or decayed they cannot bring forth the tree.

Life has a way of crushing us, doesn’t it? Deep disappointments dampen our enthusiasm. Sorrow is difficult to dislodge. Pain seems to isolate us despite the amount of people in which we surround ourselves. Remember, Jesus Himself was a seed buried in the ground. He knows what it is like to be crushed under the foot of suffering.

But there is always hope. I’m not in the habit of smiling at worms. There were just so many of them crawling among the pecans, busily moving about without any knowledge of the fact that the process was just beginning for them. Their dark moments were ahead as the cycles of life prepared to surround them in a cocoon of their own making. My lesson continued as I heard Holy Spirit say, “Those that make it through the process will fly.”

For those wanting to debate theological treatises, this is not the blog for you. Neither is it a place where fear-mongering disguised as Christianese will be discussed. This is a place for those stuck in the processes of life to find encouragement to try one more time. You know you can’t stay in the dissatisfaction of that nest, but you are not sure if your wings will sustain your journey into new territory. I have good news for you. Jesus is all about resurrection. If you are ready to shed the familiarity of the cocoon, this blog is a place that will encourage you to fly.