It Can Bloom Again

                         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."