The religion corner: Phoenix rising from the ashes
By Lyndia Grant
NNPA
As the story goes, according to dictionary.com, the phoenix is a mythical bird with fiery plumage that lives up to 100 years. Near the end of its life, it settles in to its nest of twigs which then burns ferociously, reducing bird and nest to ashes. And from those ashes, a fledgling phoenix rises, renewed and reborn. What an intriguing metaphor!
Things get so out-of-control that you hardly recognize your life. Just remember, in life, we must crawl before we walk. The beautiful butterfly is a perfect example. Allow your life to go through the challenges required for the Lord to mold you into that strong tower He needs you to be. You may have had to begin this journey crawling on your belly, finally coming forth as a beautiful butterfly! Then later, come forth, just like a Phoenix who will rise from the ashes. Only this time you’ll be brand-new.
As we endure grief from the pain of losing a loved one, life will never be the same once you lose a child, a spouse, mother or father; it’s a brand-new life, but like the Phoenix, you must rise and live on.
Being a sharecropper’s daughter, picking cotton in North Carolina and later marrying a Marine who turned out to be damaged goods, gave me that period when God was molding me for the rest of my journey. My ex-husband created a hostile home environment where domestic violence reigned. My awful experiences were not unique; it’s all part of our earthly journey. Longing for the turmoil to be over with didn’t help. Crying out to God many days while being choked and strangled became routine. I couldn’t understand.
Creating my own plan to see if I could find new information to gain control didn’t work either. I was so busy trying to make things happen that I overlooked the obvious.
Admitting there was so much I didn’t know, I turned my life over to God. Lean not to your own understanding, and allow the Lord to direct my path, so I let go and let God.
This new outlook will be like the fire burning up everything from your past. God is always on time. Scripture reminds us, “His ways are not our ways.” Stop trying to figure things out, follow His lead and allow the Heavenly Father to do the rest.
When we look back, we will see the seasons of my experience had to run their course. My negative mind had taken over, and I couldn’t see my way out. The best I could do was “ride the waves,” which I did with varying degrees of success. The clouds do part though. This too, shall pass.
When darkness descends, joy is blotted out, buried, seemingly nonexistent. Everything weighed like a heavy burden. All your activities will feel like obligations. You won’t experience any joy. That’s when you must get moving; create a “want-to-do” list, like read a book I enjoy, clean out my closets and maybe take long walks along a beautiful path. Those seeds of hope and faith hidden from view will begin to sprout.
None of us want to walk around in broken pieces; we want to be whole. Allow me to share this poem: “Phoenix.” The original poem says: Out of my ashes will rise a new phoenix. A soaring being returning from death proving once again that life is eternal. I live forever because the spirit never dies. I will return in another body in another time, but it is me. The me who is me now will always be. As long as I live, I learn. And I live forever.
Lyndia Grant is an author, inspirational and motivational speaker, radio talk show host and columnist; visit her website at www.lyndiagrant.com, email lyndiagrant@gmail.com or call 202-558-2107. Tune in Fridays at 6 p.m. to the radio talk show, 1340 AM, WYCB, a Radio One Station.
