Blossoming In Discernment

Three summers ago, someone I know said I could have some of their flowers. So, with gratitude, I dug several of them up in their yard and transplanted them here to mine. After three years of waiting, they began showing signs of life a few days ago and then suddenly bloomed here for the first time! 

A few years isn't very long to wait, but it was long enough for me to start wondering why they weren't blooming.

What happened? Should I have prepared the soil better? Was it the environment that I brought them into? Can they just not thrive and flourish here? And, the biggest question, would I not get to experience the fullness that its life was meant to display? I wondered. 

I love how God lets us see connections through His creation in our personal life with Him.

Simply waiting in the questions became important to me. I didn't make any rash judgments or movements to remove them. Instead, through the last several seasons, I kept trusting they would do what they were created to do when they were ready. I had to trust that there was life left, still a purpose for these beautiful gifts, without a glimpse of a blossom, until now. I chose to believe the assurance of the Holy Spirit, who I sensed was leading me to trust they would be able to do what they were created to one day fully.

Discernment is one of the most challenging tasks we have as human beings. It's easier to sense when something is wrong. It's much harder to hold some waiting space for what to do (if anything). Plant life exists through God's creatively designed rhythms, intricate connection, and power. We are more complex. We can sin and confuse ourselves. We're capable of doubting God's promises. We all have things about us that can get in the way of our growth. 

God knows us intimately and knows we have our whole story inside us. All the way from Adam and Eve up to the brokenness found throughout our own stories, He knows we hold some significant tensions from our life experiences. He knows what can hold us back and also understands what can propel us forward too soon. He is also very aware of the gifts and call He placed inside us. He doesn't lose sight of any of this. 

How do we know when to remain in the waiting and when to take action? How do we listen to hear the quietness of our Shepherd's voice? How do we discover our questions and allow the intensity of them to settle in for the journey of learning discernment, which gives Him space to love us in more
profound ways? 

As I slowly dug deeper into this, I learned scientists have a name for the part of the plant that protects the bud before it opens up. They call them "Sepals." It's good to know who our people, our "sepals" are. 

As I continue to learn about life, I'm developing a larger capacity to understand and appreciate the different phases of growth. I admit I still enjoy the phase of life when the flower blooms producing the fruit it was made for the best. The beautiful flowering blossom itself is the reproductive part. Imagine how God's Kingdom can grow if we submit ourselves to the process together. The possibilities for us are magnificent, if we allow Him time and space to ready us and open us up fully to His plans! Look for signs of life emerging. Lean in and watch how Jesus helps our lives blossom to fulfill the unique beauty of Christ's purposes for us. He will continue to show us the way...
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Who supports you spiritually while you go through your process?
Who helps you hear the Shepherd's Voice when yours becomes louder? 
What could be possible to experience with Jesus together if we relinquish our control and embrace
​discernment instead? 

​Praying with you, soul friend...

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