Beauty in the Midst, Part 1

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. —Psalm 1:3, KJV

Recently, I looked out of my window, and two beautiful white cedar trees caught my attention. As the national tree of Anguilla, the white cedar is not an unusual sight, but this morning they just seemed to glisten. The recent rains had added an extra pop of color to the light pink petals. What I did not mention was that the two trees stood like sentinels on either side of a couple of green, overflowing garbage bins. But I was so engrossed in their beauty that the eyesore of the bins failed to hold my attention. I vaguely registered the state of the bins and hoped they would be emptied soon. But that was all. Within moments, I was back to admiring the scenery. A couple of lessons lingered. First, isn’t it just that way with God? The world may see us for what they think we are—no good, undeserving, or guilty. But when God steps into our lives, He makes all things new (Revelation 21:5). Instead of our faults and failings, God sees us for who we could become. So focused was I on the beauty of the blooms that the bins barely diverted my attention. In the same way, people should see the love of the Lord shining through us.

That is what should capture and hold their interest.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV).

Second, we may not always find ourselves in situations that are to our advantage, but that is no excuse for stagnation. In fact, we may consider the circumstances to be anything but conducive to building faith, but we can bloom right where we are planted.

Those white cedar trees probably would not have chosen that location if it were up to them, but that did not stop them from flourishing.

Our ability to blossom does not depend on the soil in which we are planted. On the contrary, it is the watering that makes the difference. “The water that I will give them will become in them a spring which will provide them with life-giving water” (John 4:14, GNT).

So, sisters, wherever you find yourself today, take a page from the white cedar and bloom!

Michal Herry-Romney