"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart, yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end."—Ecclesiastes 3:11
I don’t have the greenest of thumbs when it comes to keeping plants alive. I’ve accidentally killed so many of them due to neglect or improper care.
But I now have one that has been flourishing. I water it correctly and keep it in good sunlight, and sometimes I even say some kind words to it (because I heard that plants grow more if you speak kindly to them).
Even my brother noticed just how much this new plant has been flourishing. He said something that caught my attention: “Ashley, you might need to get a bigger pot for your plant. It’s growing to the point where it needs more room.”
More room to grow. That concept definitely applies to plants, but I wonder how much it also applies to our lives. In order for us to really grow, sometimes we must get out of our current environment and be planted somewhere new. We might feel comfortable and happy, but what good is that if we’re not growing? God in His grace might allow us to go through difficult seasons or experience new environments so our faith can be challenged and tested. As hard as these times might be, they allow us to grow and deepen our walk with Him.
My sweet flourishing plant will need a new pot soon. And al-though the new one might be uncomfortable at first, she’ll need it if she is to continue to grow.
In the same way, we might feel uncomfortable when God transfers us to the waiting room, a place we might even hate. But in the waiting room, we will be encouraged to grow.
If this waiting season is helping us grow, let’s not resist it anymore. Maybe we can even embrace it. With our roots deep in the new soil where God has us planted, we can be thankful that He will not waste a single season, even the ones we don’t like. Surely, the growth will be worth it.
Jesus, the waiting is not always a comfortable place to be. I pray that You would use me where You have me right now to shape me into the woman You’ve created me to be.
In Jesus’s name, amen.
Excerpt from The Joy of the in Between. Used with permission,
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Epitavi
