I love spring and everything about it. It is to me a reminder that God makes all things new in His time. No matter how bad a winter we get up in this northern region, spring eventually makes her lovely appearance. One of my favorite things about spring is getting out to “dig in the dirt” as my hubby describes my joy as once again I can plant flowers and bring a splash of color to our backyard and patio. I have been working in my flower garden and enjoying the beauty of the colors these past several weeks. It seems with our early spring this year all my flowers are in early bloom and that makes me smile since the growing season in “Chicagoland” can be short.
I want to share a nugget that I feel God gave me a number of springs ago when I was planting some petunias. In my eagerness I had over bought more plants than I had pots for and found I had three little petunias still left staring up at me. It was like they said, “Don’t get rid of us. Please find us a home!” In the corner of my patio I found an old beat up clay pot that I had meant to throw away. It was in bad shape with a crack on one side and a hole about the size of quarter on the other. I did not want to make a Wal Mart run for a new pot so I filled the ugly pot with dirt and stuck the three little petunias in the pot. I gave the petunias a quick apology as I placed the ugly pot in the back of two pretty pots making sure the hole was turned to the back side.
As the weeks passed I watered and fertilized all the flowers and enjoyed their hardy growth. One day as I was tending to the flowers I noticed a long runner loaded with huge petunias creeping from between two of the front pots. As I looked further I almost gasped. The runner was coming from the ugly pot I had pushed to the back and the runner had pushed its way through the hole in the pot! As I stood there looking at the beauty of this plant the Lord quietly brought this verse to my mind: Man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart. ( 1Samuel 16:7 ) In that moment he reminded me that he does not despise the weak or simple things but that in his eyes everyone is valuable.
Dear ones, let me ask you a question. Do you feel like the circumstances in your life have caused you to feel like you belong “in the back?” Do you feel that others are of more value or useful because they do not struggle with the things that life throws their way as you do? Well beloved I have good news. You are precious, valued and loved by the One who created you. You are not a mistake and he will use your weaknesses to bring forth beauty. He promises to give you beauty for ashes. He will bring streams to the desert places of your life. So move up to the front my friend. Your Father is about to plant a beautiful flower in your heart. Now watch it bloom!
From my heart to yours,
Rosie <3
photo by Rosie Williams
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