Dead Blooms

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear…So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”  Matthew 6:25-32.

I have always loved roses and even spent some time years ago trying to produce beautiful rose bushes that would always have blooms.  The problem was my gardening laziness.  I wanted roses but didn’t do the time-consuming and tedious work of caring for the actual dirt, trunk and stems.  I didn’t treat the soil, prune the bushes or pinch off the dead growth.  As a result of limited care, I enjoy limited blooms.    Instead of me putting in the time I spent my focus on many other things, finding myself purchasing something that I had the ability to produce on my own.

Our relationship with God is no different.  We sit around and see the areas of our lives that are in shambles no matter how hard we want a different life.  We distract ourselves with wants.  We run after status, image and the things that this world offers our flesh…all dead blooms.  We must kneel before the plant and carefully partner with God to prepare the soil of our soul.  We must give Him the shears and allow Him to cut back those areas in our lives that keep sabotaging our desires.  We must give Him freedom to pinch off those things that lead to death every time.  Once our focus is on the Gardner the blooms will be beautiful and numerous always producing beauty.  How do we do this?  We focus on His word, not our wants.  We ask for His kingdom to come, not our kingdom.  We surrender the temporary to gain the permanent by denying ourselves of things we use to pursue.  Our permanent will be freedom from that which holds our lives captive.  Our blooms will be healthy and plentiful because they will be rooted in the One who creates and redeems.

“God has a plan to redeem all that concerns you, and He intends to begin with your heart.  Will you receive His offer to redeem?  Will you believe in His steadfast love?  Or will you spend another year with your arms crossed, muttering to yourself something about how you’d do things differently?” Redeemed, Angela Thomas-Pharr, p. 63.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33.