The first hard freeze is expected tonight where I live. Yesterday we pulled out the gorgeous zinnias growing across the front of our house. It broke my heart to do it. Those zinnias had grown taller than me, and were the talk of the neighborhood. All the neighbors picked some. The more we picked, the more they'd grow.
They bloomed in a wondrous riot of every color: pink, purple, fuschia, red, orange, gold, yellow, white, and every shade in between. It didn't matter to them whether our weather was hot and dry or cold and wet; they just kept growing and growing, gone wild in a glorious way.
Every time I looked at them out the front windows of my house, they lifted my spirits. I wanted to be like them. I want to bloom profusely with the glory of God. I want to keep growing amidst the circumstances of life. I want to live with freedom and abandon, my joyful existence a witness of the glory of God.
But, alas, I'm more like the little holly bush growing in the corner of my yard. It is not big, not showy, not spectacular, barely noticeable. It doesn't grow much, but it does persevere through the most frigid of winters. It isn't showy, but in it's own way it is a witness to the steadfastness of God. It survived the record-breaking two feet of snow we had last winter, testifying to the faithfulness of God. In His wisdom and grace, God knows we can't all be zinnias gone wild, but there is value in every one of us.
"How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in Him should ponder them. Everything He does reveals His glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails. He causes us to remember His wonderful works. How gracious and merciful is our God!", Psalm 111:2-3. NLT
Peggy I am right there with you. I too desire to Grow in the Lord. Have what He wants for me. Thank you for sharing dear one. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteHi Peggy,
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful analogy! I love the rose of sharon that grows outside my bedroom window, and look forward to it's bloom each year. I even posted about it on my blog when the winter seemed at it's coldest and longest. Now you have me thinking "what flower am I?"
~God Bless You
This post was a delight to read. Growing strong in the Lord with you, Peggy. I feel this way about my hollyhocks; they're lovely all across the front of my house but they do not bloom very long. Don't want to be them; a sturdy bush is better!
ReplyDeleteHI Peggy....I've never seen that kind of flower but I love how you show your ever growing strength using the beauty of flowers. Have a super week out there...Stay strong okay...
ReplyDelete