Once upon a time there was a happy house. The sun was shining, there were flowers all around, and the birds were chirping merrily. The structure was in good condition and the family who lived in the house were content and very satisfied with their daily lives.

But then a series of storms came and threatened to destroy the house. Yet even as the waters gradually dried out, their home slowly began to decay. Mold crept into the crawl spaces and and their home became less peaceful and safe.

But then, one disastrous day, a terrible lightning storm swept through the valley and the family decided that enough was enough. The left their home and moved away. Through the years it became overgrown with kudzuu and was unrecognizable. Who could have guessed what had once been underneath?

One of the small children who had grown up in the ‘happy house’ always remembered the joy that lived there. Ever since that terrible lightning storm the family had lived in fear and forever struggled to make ends meet. But something always stirred deep inside this child – a longing to return. On their seventeenth birthday they decided to take a trip to see their old home – if it still existed.

As they arrived at their former address their jaw dropped in disbelief. How was this possible? All they saw was an entangled mess of overgrown kudzuu encircling and engulfing the former structure of the house. Great tears of sadness overwhelmed this child as they struggled to remember the safety and security that once had permeated their life.

The old gravel driveway had been replaced with an asphalt two-laned highway which almost ran into the old house. It would only be a matter of time until this precious overgrown memory would collapse. The only shred of life were the few remaining daffodils that there family had planted. The child remembered the joy of seeing them slowly emerge up through the ground that next spring.

Looking at the dilapidated structure she felt hopeless. But yet, seeing the remaining daffodils something stirred deep inside. Falling to her knees she prayed, “Please help me remember what it felt like! Restore the hope that used to be inside me. I feel like those lightning storms stole away my childlike heart. Set me free! Jesus, help me!”

As she turned around she saw the most wonderful rays of light coming down from heaven. Prisms of light appeared before her eyes; myriads of colors turned the gloomy, cloudy atmosphere into a color-filled panorama of childlike wonder.

As she closed her eyes she was transported into a field of daffodils. The childlike memories, long hidden in the darkened confines of her mind, awoke and slowly streamed into her consciousness, just like the Heavenly Light streaming down from above. As she basked in the sweetness of those recollections something came alive inside her. She sensed a Voice speaking deep inside. This was the message she heard:

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will never fear even if every structure of support were to crumble away. God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it…. Be still, and know that I am God!