Little Yellow Flowers

I have not written in a while. There are times when my heart has a difficult time getting the words down on paper. This has been one of those times. I want to write, but the words will not flow. So I wait. I listen and when the time is right, it comes. I was writing a newsletter article recently about the hope that sometimes comes with a new year. I even struggled to find the words for that, but I finally did. I thought about re-writing that for my blog, but I decided to write about a different kind of hope – hope that comes out of deep struggle.

A couple of weeks ago I woke up, got ready for the day and headed out for some extended time with the Lord in the Pink Room. Instead, I decided to stay in our bedroom and sit in one of my favorite chairs. It is a small lady-sized chair that belonged to my husband’s parents. I have it covered with a beautiful pink blanket that my sweet sister-in-law made for me a few years ago. It is a very warm and comfortable spot to sit right by our bedroom window. That morning, I opened the blind to let in a bit of sunshine and to my surprise, there was a beautiful little yellow and orange daffodil right outside of our window. One little stem of flowers standing strong against the cold winds of winter. That tiny flower pushed its way up through the hard soil of winter. Everything else in our front garden has died or gone dormant. It stands alone fighting to survive the chilly days. Normally this type of flower blooms much later, around early to mid springtime. It is not normal for it to bloom in the dead of winter. In fact, it has never bloomed before. It also belonged to my sweet in-laws and we’ve had it for a few years now, but it never bloomed until now.

            Every morning when I open the blinds, there it is, smiling at me, in all its splendor. It makes me smile. It is so bright and colorful against the dreary appearance of winter. It is standing tall and strong against all odds. It gives me…hope. Its happy little face reminds me to praise God and to have a thankful heart even when I do not understand the tough things going on around me. I want to be like that little daffodil. I want to stand strong in my faith, I want to trust God in ALL things. Even when I face what feels like a cold, dark winter season in my life, I want to cling to the One who loves me most and who knows me best. I want to persevere, but more than that, I want to press on in joy, just like that sweet little flower.

            None of us know what the next hour will bring in our lives. I certainly do not, but God does. Recently, I asked a friend to pray for me and for my family in a time of intense testing. Her words were short, but so encouraging. She said, “God goes before you.” What a beautiful reminder of God’s presence in the lives of His children. He goes before us. He is all around us. Psalm 139:5 says, “You hem me in – behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.” (NIV) He does not abandon His children – ever. When life overwhelms us, it may seem like He has left us, but His Word tells us that He never leaves us and I believe His Word is truth.

            The day is at an end now and it is dark outside. I cannot see the little yellow flower right now, but I know it is still standing tall and strong even in the dark of night. I believe it will still be there in the morning when I open the blinds again. It is the same for me and for you. Even in the darkness, we know our Heavenly Father is with us. We might not see Him, or even feel His presence, but He is there. He will be there when I lay down my head tonight. He will be there tomorrow when I face life’s challenges and He will be there when I walk through moments of joy. He is faithful. HE IS FAITHFUL. May God richly bless you. Thank you for reading.