Life Through the Lava
Scripture:
“We know that for those who love God, He works everything together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” — Romans 8:28 (CJB)
Reflection:
This week, we had the opportunity to visit the lava fields surrounding Volcán de Pacaya. Standing there, you cannot help but be amazed. The lava had once flowed with incredible force, cutting through everything in its path. It split the land apart, destroyed what stood before it, and left behind hardened rock that was rough, sharp, and seemingly lifeless.
At first glance, it looks like a place where nothing should grow.
Yet as I looked closer, I saw something beautiful.
Life was pushing through the lava.
Small plants were emerging from cracks in the hardened rock. Trees were beginning to take root. What once appeared dead was slowly being restored. The very land that had been divided by destruction was being drawn back together through growth.
As I stood there, I couldn’t help but think about our lives and our relationships.
Every one of us experiences “lava flows.”
Sometimes it is betrayal.
Sometimes it is loss.
Sometimes it is disappointment.
Sometimes it is misunderstanding.
Sometimes it is pride, anger, addiction, or broken trust.
These moments come rushing into our lives, and like lava, they leave damage in their wake. They can divide families, friendships, marriages, churches, and even our relationship with God.
Many times, when the damage is fresh, all we can see is the destruction.
We see what was lost.
We see what was broken.
We see the separation.
But God sees something we often miss.
He sees what can still grow.
The lava field reminded me that just because something has been divided doesn’t mean it must remain divided forever.
Healing can grow.
Trust can grow.
Forgiveness can grow.
Love can grow.
Faith can grow.
The process is rarely fast. Those lava fields didn’t become green overnight. The growth took time. The restoration happened little by little. Day after day. Season after season.
Relationships are often the same way.
When something comes between two people, restoration doesn’t usually happen in a moment. It happens through small acts of grace, honest conversations, humility, repentance, forgiveness, and a willingness to keep showing up.
Just as the plants continue reaching across the hardened rock, people must be willing to reach toward one another.
What struck me most was that the lava itself became part of the foundation for new life.
Think about that.
The very thing that caused the destruction eventually became part of what supported future growth.
Isn’t that exactly what God does?
The failures that once humbled us become lessons that strengthen us.
The wounds that once hurt us become testimonies that help others heal.
The trials that once seemed unbearable become evidence of God’s faithfulness.
God doesn’t waste our pain.
He redeems it.
Maybe today you’re looking at a relationship that feels like a lava field. Maybe something has come between you and someone you love. Maybe the damage feels too great and the separation feels permanent.
Take another look.
If life can grow through hardened lava, God can bring healing through hardened hearts.
If land divided by destruction can slowly be drawn back together, relationships divided by pain can also find restoration.
The same God who brings life from barren rock can bring life back into places you thought were beyond repair.
Encouragement:
Don’t give up on what God may still be growing.
What looks dead today may simply be the beginning of restoration. Keep praying. Keep forgiving. Keep loving. Keep reaching.
God has a way of bringing life out of places where no one expected it to grow.
—
Rev Carlos Figueroa
TheFreeBible.Org
