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Beauty in the strangest places!

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Beauty in the strangest places!

I love to garden. I’m no master gardener by any means, and not being that fond of weeding, I mostly plant flowers in pots and place them around my house and porch. Deadheading (or picking off the dead blooms) I find very therapeutic for some reason. I have even been known to talk to the plants, pray that they will flourish and give thanks for the beauty they display. I am particularly excited when a plant comes back from what looks like death. A considerate amount of work must go into achieving the beauty of blooms throughout the summer. 

A Flower Out of Cement!!

So imagine my shock when I discovered the above flower literally growing out of the cement. The crazy thing is that there weren’t even any petunias in the part of the yard where this was found. How does a beautiful flower grow when it is in a place that goes against all the odds for growth? No soil, so water, not even a seed was planted here, at least not on purpose. 

Our lives are often like that. Where all we see is hurt, struggle, a lack of beauty, God in His infinite grace, love and mercy is growing something beautiful. We often try to tell God what we need in order to be effective witnesses– if only I had more time, more money, a better voice, a more clever wit. If only I wasn’t so sick, tired, burdened…….

Gospel Joy

And then we read of people like Corrie Ten Boom who to this day shows us beauty in the midst of horrible suffering. Andrew Brunson* was imprisoned unjustly by Turkish authorities but his faith under fire has encouraged many. The Apostle Paul wrote one of the most joyous books of the Bible, Philippians, while in prison!!  Nothing but the power of the gospel can explain such things. The One who gave His life freely so that others would live eternally is in the miracle-working business on a regular basis. He seldom does what we would expect but delights to show us things we can not even imagine.

What Obstacles Hinder Your Faith and Growth?

So what are you wrestling with today? What obstacles to faith and growth do you struggle with? What is keeping you from the true joy that is rooted, not in circumstances, but in the Lord Jesus Himself? Just as Jesus encouraged us to look at the birds of the air and the lilies of the field to see His faithful provision, look also to the flower growing out of the cement outside my back door to see beauty where beauty is not only unexpected but practically impossible. Trust Him to complete the work He began when He called you to Himself.  Flourish against all odds and He will get the glory!

Questions to Consider

So what are you wrestling with today? What obstacles to faith and growth do you struggle with?

By Holly Carr

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