New blooms

“My life is like a garden - never blooming the same way twice.”

I can’t take credit for this quote, although I have no idea where it came from. But I can say for sure it’s true. Last year all along the front of the flower bed that runs the length of the back yard, there was this profusion of pink petals. Once they started blooming, they just kept coming, eventually spilling over the beams that make up the bed. I would often just look out the window at the many flowers stretching up to the sky, and I always had a clump of them on my kitchen table.

 

So this year I was excited to see the first pink flower open up. And they did bloom in large amounts for about a month. Then they stopped. I have no idea why. I did what my gardening friend suggested which was “deadhead” (for those of you non-gardener types like me it simply means you cut the dead flower heads off the stems so the plant will think it needs to produce more flowers in order to have seeds for next year). I tried giving them more water. Less water. Nothing. Now the bed looks barren and boring and I’m wondering what happened.

 

Since I’m trying to understand life through the garden, I asked God to show me what it all means. He reminded me that the garden of life is not static, but ever changing. Sometimes he wants us to grow new flowers of virtue, ones that may not be as exciting as before or as noticeable to other people, but bring him glory nonetheless. This season, I had more blooms from two other plants that were smaller and not so amazing. They grew right behind the pink ones, and I didn’t really notice them last year. Yet they have their own beauty in just a few blossoms. Maybe I would have liked the pink ones, but there were still flowers in my garden.

 

He also reminded me that I do not control the results. I am to be faithful to tend and water, to pray and give, to serve and love. But what happens from there is not something I can fully take credit for. The virtue in my life is both a result of my faithfulness but even more importantly, God’s faithfulness. I think my favorite verse in the Bible is from Philippians 2:12-13, “…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” I have a part in making the salvation God has given real in every part of my life, yet he is the one who actually does the work that he purposes to do. He brings the flowers of virtue, and so he chooses which ones will bloom each year in the garden. And it never seems to bloom the same way twice.

Comments

[Paula]

it's so interesting to see you growing in this way...never would have picked a garden for you, but you are "blooming" from it!

[Marcy Roeder]

I always look forward to your blog. I think I figured out setting up putlook so I can comment!! Mom

[Sara Matulich]

AGAIN- something I need to hear from God's heart to your fingers!!!So much change going on in my life from additions to subtractions. I can tend to get depressed but when I read a nugget of hope from people like you I am encouraged. Keep writing and let me know when your book is coming out. I will be the first one to pre-order it.