bloom – B Is for Blessed!

Bare Bones

The tree pictured above doesn’t look so impressive. This tree looks barren, uninviting and lifeless. It is a good representation of the chill in the air as I walked among the trees this morning. However, appearances are often deceiving. Just as with this tree, some of the very things in our lives that appear to be hopeless and lifeless are just lying dormant and waiting to bloom.

The next photos give a better representation of what is really going on. If you pass by casually, you’d never notice. Yet, if you take time to look closely, you can see the new life. There are often things in our lives that we have left for dead. We often fail to notice the potential remaining in situations and dreams that seem to have died or that are longer comfortable to hold on to.

Even though this tree appears lifeless, God will allow it to bloom with fragrant flowers that will soon attract bees and continue the cycle of life. Later, this tree will be lush with green leaves that will provide protection and a home to singing birds. And still months later, those leaves will blaze brightly with brilliant color that will ultimately glorify our God.

So…if there are a few things in your life that you’ve given up on or left for dead, look again!

With God, those things that look lifeless and hopeless can find a new season, a new purpose and an opportunity to once again bloom. It is up to us to expect a season of spring even when we are surrounded by the harsh cold winds of winter and grey skies of doubt loom near.

We don’t always look like we are doing well at various times in our lives. An illness, financial difficulties troublesome relationships or other matters can have us looking less than our best. The good news is God isn’t done with us either. We, too, have the potential for new life!

“The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail,” Isaiah 58:11 NKJV

“Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live,” Ezekiel 37:5 NKJV

The Dead of Winter

Pictured above is one of my favorite hydrangea plants. I planted it shortly after my father died over ten years ago and its beauty and vibrancy has brought me great joy. But it doesn’t so hot right now. In fact it looks very much dead.

Dead. Dry. And lifeless.

There are times in our lives when we have situations or circumstances that also appear to be dead. All of the energy we have placed into a project or even a person appears to have been wasted. The harvest we may have once anticipated from seeds sown may be non-existent.

The good news for each of us is even when we are in “the dead of winter,” spring will eventually come.

When we are at a loss, God is not. He has answers and solutions for problems we can barely comprehend, let alone solve. His love for us doesn’t stop and He never fails to provide and intervene on our behalf even though we can’t see it. With God, things are not always as they seem. That’s why we have to see with eyes of faith His promises and not simply view things as they appear before us.

As with my plant, some situations may look like they are ready for the trash pile. But never lose faith in the resurrection power of our God. It didn’t just stop at the tomb. His power is available to us now. We need only have faith for it and believe there is nothing too hard for our God. Even our most barren winters, He can use to benefit us.

Winter is not usually the season people are drawn to. It’s cold. Activities may be limited. There’s not as much “fun in the sun.”

Most people love the promise of the harvest in the fall. The warmth and beauty of spring and summer are also favorites. But after Christmas has past, many of us become afflicted with the winter “blahs.” If you happen to live in an area that is hammered by cold and snow, you often can’t wait for winter to simply pass.

Yet, in the winter things that look dead often are not. Life continues, still. In our personal “winters” God is still in motion, still moving, working, creating and saving.

Do your finances look dead? Is it a friendship that could use some new “life?” It may your own thoughts or mindset that could benefit from a resurrection. A job situation? A marriage? Maybe even your relationship with God could stand some new life!

I have learned that for my hydrangea to bloom, that old dead wood is necessary. In fact, if you cut it away, the tree will again turn green, but it will not bloom. The old wood is necessary for new blooms.

Sometimes our “winters” are necessary for us to bloom as well. We may need time to be still. We may require the cold and quiet time to cultivate those things within us that will allow us to bloom later in due season.

If you are frustrated, weary or impatient in your current winter state, have faith that you, too, will bloom. Like my hydrangea, the apparent death is merely an empty illusion. Life will spring forth once again.

With God, even death holds promise for the future.

“Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” 1 Peter 1:3 NKJV

“For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him,”
Luke 20:38 NKJV

“Therefore, He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” Ephesians 5:14 NKJV

Sun or Shade?

Any gardener’s dilemma often includes where to put a favorite plant. You may have a favorite specimen but not necessarily the ideal place within your planting space that is suitable for that species. I have always been fond of caladiums which are pink, green and red elephant ear like plants that I grew up with as a child. These plants traditionally thrive in shady environments.

When I began my gardening endeavors, I planted about thirty or so bulbs so excited when they finally emerged from the ground. However, my yard had full sun exposure for most of the day. What happened to my plants? The sun fried them to a crisp! Not only was the money spent on them gone to no avail but my labor had been in vain. I wasn’t wise enough to make sure I put those plants in an area suitable for their sustained growth.

Like the caladiums, we too, are flowers in God’s great garden. But fortunately for us, we are given everything we need to bloom where we are no matter where we find ourselves. If Paul can write a major part of the New Testament from prison, can’t we surely magnify God’s love and His characteristics in our daily lives?

Shade plants will fry in the sun. Sun loving plants will turn yellow in the shade. But God has equipped us with everything we need to bloom right where we are. We don’t have to wait until we are re-potted or moved to a more desirable site before we can exhibit the qualities God would have us to.

If you are in a “hot” situation, act like a cactus. Have your own internal supply of sustenance (God’s Word) to carry you through hot and stressful situations. You can’t expect God to trust you with greater responsibilities if you are failing to do an excellent job with what you have already been given. Look for the best in your situation and magnify God’s goodness in that situation. Don’t complain, change! Changing your mind and attitude where you are surely prepares the way for where you are going.

If you are a “sunny” person forced into a shady situation, ask God to help you get through moment by moment if you have to. Allow God’s light in you to illuminate the dark places and people who may be around you. Allow the Son to shine through you. We shouldn’t be seeking God to remove us from one situation into another if we can’t illuminate His love where we are, be good stewards of what we have, and display an attitude of gratitude for what He has already done.

Back to the caladiums. Last year I was browsing in the local hardware store and what did I come across? A newer hybrid of plant…sun tolerant caladiums! Too good to be true I was sure but I purchased them anyway. I placed my new beauties carefully in pots where they received direct sunlight for most of the day. To my amazement the plants thrived even in record heat upwards of 106 degrees! God can develop us to survive any environment just as someone developed caladiums that can now tolerate the sun.

With God’s hand we aren’t relegated to the sun or shade. He has enabled us to thrive when we are willing to make peace with where we are at present. Speak peace and love. Give generously, laugh loudly and be a good steward of what you have while anticipating God’s goodness for what you want. This is how we bloom.

God has equipped each of us to bloom wherever we are so we can meet those goals and dreams that He has placed deep within us. It is simply up to us to remember that we can be stable and able no matter where we are.

Sun or shade? Thankfully, we don’t have to choose.