Like this flower, we can thrive even when circumstances say otherwise.

The other day, as I was walking to my car, I spied a little purple flower had blossomed in a crack of the concrete. This little flower stopped me in my tracks, and I paused long enough to take this picture. I loved how it managed to sprout there, despite its surroundings and circumstances. The environment was anything but ideal, but it fought its way. The fact that it stood alone in a driveway made it even more beautiful than if it had been in a field.

Later that day, scrolling through Facebook, I came across this book, You’ll Get Through This by Max Lucado, and the cover had a similar picture of a plant breaking through the cracks.

Of course, I bought the book. My experience is that is how God often speaks to me- repeating a message to get my attention.

So today I read Chapter 1, and it referenced the story of Joseph in Genesis. “The story of Joseph is in the Bible for this reason: to teach you to trust God to trump evil. What Satan intends for evil, God, the Master Weaver and Master Builder, redeems for good. Joseph would be the first to tell you that life in the pit stinks, yet for all its rottenness, doesn’t the pit do this much? It forces you to look upward.” Then I read Genesis 34-45.

I recognize my posts are all similar in content. That’s because it is what God is constantly needing to tell me in these circumstances. He wants me to be like the little purple flower, and grow in these troubled times. I keep getting annoyed and angry. He keeps telling me to stop fighting it- He will use it for good. I say- I don’t want to wait. He keeps telling me it will be in His time. I want to change what is- but He wants to use it for His purpose.

I am assuming my time with God will be more of the same lesson until I really get it. I am a slow learner here. I know it to be true, but this is hard to put into practice on a daily basis. Thankfully, He doesn’t give up on us.

Prayer

Good morning, God. Thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you for being gentle, even though I continue to put up a fight. Thank you for reminding me You are in control. And thank you for showing me how even when life feels like the pits, You have the power to use it for good. Because Philippians 4:6-7 is one of my favorite verses, I know that you can give peace and want to know our requests. So here it is. Obviously I want this time of Covid to end and to end quickly. I want to resume some of my pleasures that have been shut down. I want to regain freedoms lost and I want loved ones protected. But I also want to learn from Joseph- to never lose faith even when it looks so hopeless. I also want to be the flower, and find strength to show beauty in circumstances that are meant to destroy. I have a tendency to speak my frustrations to loved ones, when I should be speaking of you. My faith is weak when I know your words are true, but don’t put it into practice. Lord, help me to live the faith I know to be so, and to trust fully that You know what you’re’ doing here. I love you. In Jesus name, Amen.