There is an interesting crater found at the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland near Rotorua, New Zealand. A short walk takes you around a beautiful thermal field, where mud springs, sulfur, and piping hot waters abound. The acidic nature of the waters does not allow for much plant or animal life. Nonetheless, the hot springs serve as the home for special varieties of plankton and algae. Birds avoid the area, for obvious reasons! With bubbling mud splashing up, sometimes a few feet into the air, and vapor vents and unpredictable geysers, it wouldn’t be the safest place for our airborne companions!
There is one exception to the “birdless” status of the thermal field, however. It is a deep crater known as “Bird’s Nest Crater”. If you look down to the bottom of the crater, all you will see is steam and bubbling waters. But little holes line the walls of this deep crater, and Starlings and Mynahs build their nests in these holes. Here they lay their eggs, and the heat from the hot spring below incubates them.
A few miles away from Wai-O-Tapu lies the city of Rotorua. Here you will find an interesting park at the centre, one that is dominated by mud springs, bubbling hot springs, and the occasional geyser. Though I have been unable to verify the authenticity of the following story, we were told that houses used to stand in this park. The buildings were supposedly moved, however, when the occupants of the area began experiencing hot springs bubbling up in their back yards. Just across the road from the park, and up on a small hill stands the Rotorua hospital. The view from the windows of this hospital looks out over this beautiful geothermal field.
Not too far from Rotorua, off the eastern coast of New Zealand’s north island, lies an active volcano known as White Island. Off to one side of volcano’s crater lies a lake of chartreuse green waters. We were told that the waters were deadly for several reasons. First of all, they contained a high level of arsenic. Secondly, the temperatures reach about 50°C. Thirdly, with a pH of 1, the lake water is extremely acidic. Finally, we were told by our guide that if the lake water ever came into contact with the sea water that surrounds the island, it would result in an explosion. Despite the obvious dangers, not too far from the shores of this deadly body of water lie the remnants of a sulfur mine. Apparently, mining sulfur from White Island was once a lucrative business!
What do these three stories have in common? Just this: The Starlings and the Mynah birds have found a way to put the sulfuric vapors of the Bird’s Nest Crater to good use. In the same way, the city of Rotorua has put the geothermal fields of their downtown region, the ones that we were told were responsible for the relocation of home, to good use. It now serves a city park, and a beautiful view for the Rotorua hospital. And finally, someone saw the potential for a money-making venture on the shores of a deadly lake in an active volcano!
It reminds me of a couple of my favorite Bible texts: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Rom 8:28 NIV); and “I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Eccl 3:10-12 NIV)
But wait a minute. What does all of this have to do with freedom from fear?
Just this: When we take a stand in faith, when we stop letting our fear dominate us, the very things we were afraid of can be turned into something beautiful, something useful, something of infinite value. Friends, every bad circumstance can be turned into something useful and beautiful! Our job is to simply put our trust in God, to keep our eyes fixed upon Him rather than on the looming circumstances, and then to allow Him to show us how He is using the bad situation for something good!
Freedom from fear, friends, boils down to faith! Faith in the One who will never let you down. Faith in the One who loves you beyond imagination! Faith in the One who can and will make everything beautiful, in His time, who will work all things for the good of those He loves-YOU AND ME!
So why hold on to our fear? Instead, let’s start exercising our faith-today! Start with that little nagging worry on the back of your mind! Yes, that little one! Give it to Him! Claim His promises that He will provide all your needs, that He will turn everything beautiful, in His time, then sit back, and have fun watching how it will all unfold!
May God bless each of you abundantly as you allow Him to work freedom from fear into your lives!
In His love,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, Mother of two teens, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, www.scripturalnuggets.org , with Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org .
(To access the entire “Freedom From Fear” mini-series, please click here.)