You ever feel like you are setting out, knowing you’re going to fail? That may be your eyes are on the waves instead of the maker of the waves but you can’t take your eyes off them? You ever feel like your heart is like a garden in winter? Muddy, colorless, stripped bare? Longing for spring and new growth.
Maybe sprouts of doubt that this was the path you were supposed to take are popping up in the furrows of your heart. Maybe the chaos of the world has covered the destination and all you can see is swirling clouds and mountains insurmountably high. Maybe you feel like you’ve already messed up- just a few weeks into this new year and you can’t even keep it together. You’ve already grown weary, the journey seems discouragingly long.
You know what the hardest part of winter is for me? Waiting. Hovering. Slipping between the illusion of spring and winter. If I didn’t know better it would be easy to say winter would never end, and spring will never come. But from experience, I know that winter will end, and spring will in fact come.
Look how far you’ve come! Look back for a moment, look back and see His promises written through the garden of your heart. Find the muddiest part of your journey and see where He planted flowers, find the dry places that He poured into until it became lush again. Look at your history.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6
You are stronger than you ever have been before. You are wiser. You’ve gone farther than ever before. You’ve survived all the storms you’ve faced. You’ve risen every time you’ve fallen. You are brave. You are beautiful.
Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” Luke 1:45
Now, look at the furrowed ground that lies before you and see the potential. See the places where new flowers will grow, see the places that you will grow this year and then focus on the one step in front of you. Stop looking at the destination, the end goal, stop feeling like you will never make it to that distant place. Climb the mountain one step, one finger, one crawl at a time. Hold the prize close to your heart but focus on only the next step. Focus on Him.
But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. Micah 7:7
Hand him the tired and broken pieces, give Him the eager pieces, your hopes and dreams, and let Him plant the garden, restored and unique a picture of His unfailing love for you.
This Sunday, the pastor at my church was talking about how someone needs your walk. Your walk is an encouragement to someone around you, someone who is tired and feeling defeated and running low on faith. When you keep climbing you encourage someone else to take the next step on their own mountain.
Maybe your garden will be a piece of someone else, your walk a reflection in someone else’s all pointing to the Master Gardener.
