Experiencing grief and pain is like falling off a cliff. Everything has been turned upside down, and we are no longer in control. As we fall, we see one and only one tree that is growing out from the rock face. So we grab hold of it and cling to it with all our might. This tree is our holy God. He alone can keep us from falling headfirst to our doom. There simply aren’t any other trees to grab. So we cling to this tree (the holy God) with all our might. But what we didn’t realize is that when we fell and grabbed the tree our arm actually became entangled in the branches, so that in reality, the tree is holding us. We hold on to keep from falling, but what we don’t realize is that we can’t fall because the tree has us. We are safe. God, in his holiness, is keeping us and showing mercy to us. We may not be aware of it, but it is true. He is with us even in the deepest and darkest pit. Dustin Shramek
About This Quote

"Fall and get up again, get up and fall again. Do not be afraid of falling, for there is only one tree growing out of the rock. Get hold of it and cling to it with all your might. Do not be afraid of falling, for there is only one tree growing out of the rock." This is a paraphrase of a passage from the Bible: John 12:25-26.

It may be tempting to think that we must fall and perish if we don't get back up after we've fallen down. But this is not true. We can hold onto the tree that's growing out of the rock.

And when we do, we won't fall. The only one who can keep us from falling is God himself (because he's holy). He alone holds our destiny in his hands.

Source: Suffering And The Sovereignty Of God

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