Make Room to Bloom!

Matthew 5:16 "Let your light shine..."

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16 AMP).

This spring, my dear husband helped with a gardening chore we have needed to do for quite some time. He thinned out the orange tiger lilies crowded so thickly together they were like a stuffed closet without room for even one more hanger. Unfortunately, the lilies, though lush and lovely, were choking out the pink peonies stifled within.

Once Pat shoveled out several of these overzealous plants, we gladly donated them to a precious friend whose gardening habits are far more gifted and disciplined. She, in turn, gave us several Helleborus plants, also known as Lenten roses. These we added to the shady area of our back yard where other Lenten roses thrived from another gardener friend’s generosity and guidance.

A few weeks later, to my astonishment and delight, the first of five pink peonies pushed their way through the remaining lilies and emerged as pretty as you please! It’s as though they were waiting to be asked out on the dance floor to make their debut; they just needed some space and an invitation. These peonies have been present in the undergrowth for years, but it was not until this year, they bloomed at last.

Obviously, there’s still some thinning out and pushing through to do, but it’s a start!

So, What Can We Learn?

In a more personal and profound instance of pushing through, I was delighted to be greeted at the gym one morning by a young man I had the privilege of teaching eight years ago. While I trundled my breathless way through a brisk walk on the treadmill, Marshall kept me company. To my delight, he detailed the ways God has been working to help him emerge from the undergrowth of high school and early adult years that nearly choked out his flourishing.

As he talked, I realized our roles had reversed in who was teaching whom!

“I used to be lazy,” Marshall confessed. “But now I work two jobs, and I come to the gym every day with my fiancée. I know I need to keep my body strong, eat right, and put God first in everything. I am learning to put Him first, my fiancée second, and work third.”

Ouch! I thought. How many of us far more advanced in years are still learning what priorities should take precedence in our daily practices?

When I shared my fitness goals with Marshall, he offered sage advice about exercise, fasting, and accountability. His beloved Christina glowed with pride as I congratulated her for capturing the heart of a man with a million-dollar smile and more importantly, a desire to be a godly leader and hard-working provider for their future family.

Marshall, like our peonies, just needed room to bloom!

Father,

Thank You for planting each of us exactly where we need to be in order to thrive and shine.

Yet, even so, sometimes, people and circumstances threaten to overwhelm, overshadow, or even choke out our ability to flourish and bloom.

When that happens, please help us to take careful inventory of what you have wisely ordained as our God-given responsibilities and to disentangle ourselves from those people and things that should be limited to areas of concern.

Help us accept Your invitation to emerge from the overgrown, overcrowded spaces of our lives so that we may bloom freely and fully, doing “All, but Only” what helps us shine for Your glory.

In the name of our Savior whose Light, wisdom, sacrifice, and good deeds serve as our glorious, eternal example, Amen.

In lieu of the Wobbly Warbler, please enjoy “Let Your Light Shine” by Kate Rusby and the Barnsley Youth Choir from Great Britain whose heartwarming story is told here.