Conversations and Violets
Dear Friends,
Not long ago someone asked me what my thoughts were about prayer.
I keep thinking about that conversation and I realize that when someone asks me for prayer it's one of the most special things to have someone ask. It is an honor to be asked to pray for someone. Praying for someone else takes you into the other person's situation and the focus off of yourself. God meets with me when I lift the needs of others up to Him. Prayer is a conversation with Jesus. Sharing and listening in His presence.
When I visited a friend who lived in a different state she shared some flower plants from her yard with me. She had violets popping up on the edge of the yard and under a big tree. The little purple blooms and heart shaped leaves were so pretty, so simple and delicate.When I got home I planted them along the walkway in the front yard where they made a nice border and along the fence in the back yard. They soon filled in the areas around them and I had extra violets to share with friends.
Violets are like prayers in some ways. When you give them away they are blessings and they grow, dropping seeds, filling the empty, desolate place in your heart that was meant for prayers. Violets can pop up in unexpected places like in the cracks between rocks or in the dark, shady area under the ferns. Prayers bring a brightness into a hurting heart like the tiny bits of color of the violets can light up a dim, wooded forest. Simple prayers that are from your heart will bring light to any situation.
A friend from out of state called with a request for prayer while I was writing this. At first I was surprised that I would get a call for prayer at this time. Then I thought that it really isn't surprising. God does things that confirm to us that He is here and desires conversation with us. I shared with my friend what I was writing about and she said some of the same things that I have written here. It's an honor to have someone trust you enough to ask for prayers and it's a privilege to have conversations with our God who loves us.
John 16:24
"....Ask, using my name, and you will receive , and you will have abundant joy."
1 Timothy 2:1
"I urge you, first of all to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them."
It Can Bloom Again
Dear Friends,
Have you ever had a pot of flowers blooming in you house before spring is here? You might see them in florist shops when you are aching to be in the garden and the snow is still on the ground. The bright colors of tulips and daffodils can warm up a room and brighten an early spring day that has the lingering chill of winter clinging to it. The bulbs of those flowers have gone through a special process to bring them to bloom indoors before the normal blooming season. The sad thing is that once a bulb has been "forced" it most likely won't bloom again. The "forcing" zaps most of the strength from the bulbs. Sometimes if it has great care along with the right conditions this flower may bloom again.
It's amazing that some of the care and conditions that these bulbs need are like what we need to grow in our faith, especially during a time of difficulty.
I heard a song about a rose that was crushed, walked upon, and appeared dead. The scent of the rose escaped the crushing and lingered for a while leaving a sweet memory of the lovely rose. In time and with the right conditions it will bloom again!
Exposure to full sun would be time spent in prayer. Plentiful food and water would be like time in God's Word. A time of rest would be like waiting on The Lord. A time without plant food or water would be like a time of fasting and prayer. A time under a special fluorescent light would be the pouring out of the Holy Spirit during this time. A time in the dry and darkness is like more waiting on Him, maybe in sorrow and loneliness. Then comes the special day of planting in a sunny location and more waiting. This is a time of growing again, now in the perfect location and right conditions. The blooming will be spectacular, as if the "forcing" had never happened.
Our springtime nights are still chilly and daytime temperatures are unpredictable. I've been working to clear the flower garden of twigs, and dead leaves and those crazy little helicopters that flew around in the wind and are trying to sprout into Maple trees all over the garden. While clearing these things out I uncover little treasures that survived our freezing winter! I am finding tiny sprouts of green that will be bloom again during the months to come.
If you need encouragement remember that you can bloom again.
2 Thessalonians 3:5
"May The Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ."
