you grow girl! or guy ;)
hi friends! as we are well into the summer season, at least I am here in Florida, I pray that you guys had a good month of June. while I’m excited that we are beginning the new month of July, I can’t believe it - 2021 is halfway over! each month brings new beginnings, and July will certainly be a month of promise. I want to share some encouragement today, stemming from my latest fascination - plants! I recently planted some flowers at my home, and something as simple as their growth has allowed me to draw parallels and reflect on the role of the Lord in my life.
pictured here is my garden, small but mighty!
when I went to plant these flowers, it was hard work. I spent an entire day out in the heat digging holes, laying soil, and watering my new bundles of growth. now, a month later, they are thriving, despite some high heat and tumultuous rain. in your season of life right now, do you feel like a healthy flower - blooming and growing each day? or do you feel like you need a little extra love and care? however you feel, it is ok! this is where I realized how closely we can resonate with nature and how things grow. first and foremost, like these flowers are in my garden, you and I are flowers in the garden of the Lord. we were carefully planted in this life by God, and He ensures that no matter what the environment may look like around us may look like (with uncertainty, anxiety, worldly troubles), we can still receive His tender love and care. Hosea 14:5-6 states, “I [God] will be like dew to the people of Israel. They will blossom like flowers. They will be firmly rooted like cedars from Lebanon. They will be like growing branches. They will be beautiful like olive trees. They will be fragrant like cedars from Lebanon.” in this verse, the comparison of the people of Israel to strong cedars, olive trees, and flowers illustrates how vital the Lord is to our growth. like you can not expect a flower to grow without sun and water, you cannot expect to grow emotionally and spiritually without drawing from the Lord’s resources. as the ultimate gardner, God aspires for us to blossom into the fullest versions of ourselves, but the growth is not linear or universal - meaning that it requires various parts and it looks different for everyone. straying away from the comparison with a physical flower, God’s role as our gardener still requires some effort of our own. while He equips us with everything we need to grow, it is up to us to actively pursue those resources. so how do you do this? praying, reading the word, and listening to worship music or sermons are all ways to do so. I know that when you may be going through a difficult or stagnant season, the last thing you want to is face it and acknowledge why it’s happening, but sometimes those tough times bring us our brightest answers. your efforts don’t need to be grand or shared with everyone - the Lord knows your heart, and He will be there when you are ready to approach Him. your struggles are not eternal, you too can blossom in life - you grow girl! <3
