I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t have a green thumb.
(Cough, one time I caused a succulent to burn and rot simultaneously…)
But this was going to be the summer of new life. After the spontaneous purchase of a packet of sunflower seeds, I hurried to the backyard and planted seeds in every spare plot of soil. It was a generous packet, and I ran out of space with still six seeds left.
A few years back, we had planted sunflower seeds in a pot, and they barely grew. But I had run out of other options, so I pushed the remaining seeds down in the soil of a large pot.
Then I waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Oh, and watered.
Other plants sprung up around me, but my sunflowers wouldn’t even sprout. Faithfully I watered, and still no sign of growth.
After a month and a half of waiting, I determined that the seeds planted around the yard had been eaten by rabbits or birds. The only spouts, barely a few inches high, were in the pot.
And then, after the first leaf made an appearance, someone chomped the leaf off too.
I wasn’t willing to give up on my last surviving seeds, so I elevated the pot onto a chair (out of reach of my furry visitors) and prayed that they would still grow.
We had one of the driest, sunniest summers in Washington history–the perfect climate for sunflowers. Yet my sunflower buds refused to pop open.
September rolled around, and I was starting to give up hope that I would ever see the fruit of my labor. All the other plants withered for winter or transformed into one final brilliant display of color.
And then a clump of yellow petals peeked out into the world.
At last! A sign of life.
Right as the rainy season was about to begin.
God knew how much these flowers meant to me. They weren’t just proof that perhaps I could keep something alive. They were a sign of hope, that all the waiting was worth it.
Not just in my gardening life, but in all the areas where it’s been hard to be patient.
And so, even through stormy nights and windy mornings, these flowers bloomed vibrantly. Yellow and orange smiles greeted me whenever I ventured into the backyard after a long day.
They withstood more than I could’ve imagined: hungry animals, dewy mornings, and heavy winds.
Perhaps if they would’ve bloomed when I had wanted, I never would’ve realized how strong they were.
As the only color in a fading yard, they stood out as the light. This was their time to shine, and through the waiting, they were an even greater encouragement.
What are you waiting on in your life?
Perhaps life feels stagnant…and has felt stagnant for years. But don’t lose hope. God is preparing you for all that is to come. With changing seasons, there are opportunities to draw close to Him, in both the blessing and the trial. In fact, the waiting times are often when we rely on Him the most.
When you seek God in the waiting, it will not be a wasted season. You will be strengthened in Him so that you are ready when the next season arrives. Keep your eyes open to all the ways He’s reaching out and showing you His love, even if it’s through a simple flower or friendly smile.
You are growing, and have already grown, more than you think.
His purpose for you never changes. You are designed to be His child, a beckon of His light, love, and truth throughout your community. Show up faithfully, even with your scars, longings, and questions, and He will answer you.
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.
Isaiah 40:8 (NIV)
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
Matthew 6:28-30 (NIV)
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.Romans 12:12 (NIV)
The Will to Wake Up 