The Dirty Flower

A friend emailed a devotion she received online. It touched my heart so I felt it only fair to share in hopes that it too would touch yours...

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

A little girl walking in a garden saw a particularly beautiful flower and promptly picked it because she felt it was too pretty to be in the dirt. She then took the flower home and rinsed the dirt off with water. Shortly thereafter, the flower wilted and died. When the owner of that garden saw what the little girl had done, he exclaimed, 'You have destroyed my finest plant!'
'I'm sorry, but I didn't like it in all that dirt,' said the girl.
The gardener responded by saying, 'I chose that spot and mixed the soil because I knew that only there could it grow to be a beautiful flower.'
Sometimes we become like that little girl, fixated on the dirt of our life instead of seeing the beauty and growth that will emerge in time. But once we have experienced seeing the hand of God in our life, we have assurance that we can trust Him in His sovereignty. So, if it feels like nothing good will ever come out of what you are going through, be patient and steadfast, knowing that God 'plans to give you a hope and a future' (Jeremiah 29:11).

Patient and Steadfast... now those are words to live by. I don't know about you, but there are times when I feel like I'm in the landfill of life and I'm positive nothing good will come from it all. It's so tough to take a step back, change perspective and remember that God does truly have a plan. God is good.