Spring Is Coming

“The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of them all.” -Mulan 

These flowers were beginning to wither and I was going to throw them away but I decided to add more water to the vase and give them a second chance. Turns out, a little water was just what they needed. Their beauty began to shine through again. 

These flowers remind me of myself and so many of us who may walk through a tough, dark season or a really bad day, week, month or year. We feel weak, we feel like our beauty has faded. We may feel like no one values or sees us for who we truly are and the struggles we are facing. We want to find ourselves, our beauty, and our strength again. We want community. We want to see the light and not the pain and darkness. We thirst for peace, answers and clarity. 

Health issues, depression, anxiety, OCD, whatever it might look like for you, it’s tough. It can feel lonely and like a huge weight you wish you could set aside. But whatever your burden, the Lord is sanctifying you. Only He can make you feel whole again. He wants to draw you nearer to Himself and help you grow in your faith because, without challenges, we wouldn’t know how much we truly need Him. We aren’t meant to fight these battles alone. Only the Lord can offer the wisdom, love, peace, clarity and joy we so desperately need. May we cling to Him and His word and may we seek Him in prayer. May we lay our burdens at the foot of the cross.

I know my own struggle with health issues, depression, anxiety, and OCD have shown me my own weakness and desire for control. It’s not easy admitting how often I struggle with these things and how often I am reminded of my weakness. It’s always a humbling reminder that I need to rely on God first and foremost. I also know that community rallying around me has been crucial in reminding me of God’s sovereignty, who I am, and that everything will be okay. The more I lean into God and authentic community, the less hold these things have on me. 

Just like a flower looks for the light from the sun, look up to your Heavenly Father. He is there to water your dry spirit. He is there to speak truth into your soul. He wants to see you blossom in all He has in store for you! 

Just as the seasons come and go, this too shall pass. 

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.” -Ecclesiastes 3:11 

Do you believe that truth? Even after the winter, the flowers bloom in spring. What was once dead is now alive. He makes beauty from ashes. 

You are strong and you are beautiful. You have a precious family. You are worthy of love and joy. The Lord will bring you through this. Sing His praises through the storm and let your light shine for all to see because when we embrace where we are and choose to learn and grow from it, others will see His glory and goodness. It will draw others nearer to Him, too. Our brokenness becomes blessing. Our brokenness becomes redemption and that in turn brings life that sings our Father's praises. 

Everything serves a purpose in the Kingdom of God. Something the Lord convicted me of today was this: If I don’t ever fully heal, will it be well with my soul? Will I look through my challenges and meet the eyes of God knowing this place is not my home and my struggles are not forever? Will I choose to see each day as a gift, and look past my struggles to see the blessings before me?

The weakness we have in our flesh makes it difficult to see past the hard times but we must continue to trust that there is great joy ahead. The winter might be here but spring is coming. It always comes. So holdfast, dear one. Lift up your chin, take a deep breath, meditate on scripture and remember whose you are. You are a daughter of the King.

Taking Strides,

Marla Shrader