The Work Below the Surface

I have always had this slight obsession with trees, leaves, mountains and flowers. Not that I am a crazy nature person but I love looking at the natural beauty. I believe that nature shows us the glory and the strength of God– who is all powerful. Often times the Holy Spirit has encouraged me by using nature to open my eyes to certain things. Today, I was thinking about what I wanted to share but I wasn’t sure. I went to our sun room and stared out the window and saw four beautiful flowers that were blooming. I was reminded of an occurrence I had last year around this same time. On February 22, 2018 I wrote this:

” Pulled into the house yesterday and saw the flowers were coming up. The next day I went in the back to make a U-turn and saw that those flowers were blooming. We don’t know what’s going on under the surface, God is working. We might not be paying attention to that particular thing. I was so focused on the leaves that I didn’t see the flowers blooming. We focus on the wrong things.

From God: It doesn’t take long for me to make things blossom. I work under the surface. You may not see it but I am working. There is growth, if you look for it you will see it. Look past what you don’t want to see.

When I think back to this time I remember that my husband was away and I was so overwhelmed by all the leaves that would cover our lawn. Leaves from trees that weren’t ours. When I came home from work everyday I was focused solely on the leaves. This is why I missed seeing the flowers blossom. I want to encourage whoever is reading this to remember that God is working. Don’t allow the leaves to overwhelm you to the point that you miss out on what He is doing. Even if you don’t see it–He’s working on your behalf. Regardless of what the circumstances look like He’s moving and bringing things into full bloom. Last week when I noticed the flowers blooming I was kind of surprised because we really only had 1 week of “nice” weather. I couldn’t understand how the flowers bloomed so quickly. I remember even saying that they would die because the temperature was expected to drop again in the upcoming weeks. Well… I am happy to say that the flowers are still flourishing and others are beginning to bloom as well.

When we rely on God, He has a way of making the cold temperatures ineffective in our lives . When we find our strength in Him our growth, change and life is not dependent on the temperature of our circumstances. We will grow whether it is in or out of season.

‘“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.’ They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Honestly, I get tired of myself. In the sense that when life is smooth sailing I see strength but when the rough winds happen I hate that I sometimes struggle to keep rowing. That is tiring. God just asks us to trust Him that’s it. When I first got married and moved to Alaska there were so many uncertainties in my life. I would pray about it and one day I heard ” All I am asking you to do is walk”. My sole responsibility is to walk out the life God gives to me. Not for me to force His hand, to know everything or understand it but just to walk. Just like the flower’s responsibility is to bloom, my responsibility is to walk…

‘ And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin. And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life? [Ps. 39:5-7.] Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his magnificence (excellence, dignity, and grace) was not arrayed like one of these. [I Kings 10:4-7.]’

Matthew 6:27-29

I truly believe that the Lord knew that life in this world would be trying that’s why He only asks us to walk in faith… He takes everything else on His shoulders and through His word He ensures us that He has it under control. Walking in faith not for the promises but faith in Him. We always hear this: ” faith without testing is not faith”. I also think that faith that is not tested will not grow. We won’t move from faith to faith. Some mountains we can speak to and others we have to climb. If we can have faith to speak to the mountains we should have faith to climb it.

I really pray that this is comforting to someone today. Someone who is in a place where they’ve never been before, that’s requiring them to trust God like never before. I know I am and interesting enough God directed my attention to the flowers this morning. They neither toil or spin, they just are and God still provides everything for them! Why should I be anxious, why should I worry. As I climb this mountain I’ll remember the flowers. I will remember that they are glorious and brilliant not because of anything they’ve done but because of everything God has done! It is because of who God is that causes them to bloom. Praying for those of us who are trusting God as He works below the surface!

With the Love of Christ, Nadesha