surrender

The Day Jesus Bloomed

October 1, 2020 by Ellen 1 Comment

She came as a cutting from my sister. Just a pencil thin, three or four foot long green thing that may have had one leaf on the end. Not knowing anything about this…this thing, I stuck it in a pot that happened to have dirt in it. I had probably killed the pot’s last resident. This green stick would probably die too.

But she didn’t! She began to grow other green sticks, that felt oddly like skin covering a strong muscle. I watched her grow, until one day I saw it – a blossom! Wow! Not only did she live, but she was going to bloom! Each day I would check on the small flower. Each day it was a bit bigger, and fuller. One day, I noticed she was opening up, ever so slightly.

“Tomorrow will be the day! Tomorrow I will see what the flower will look like!” I couldn’t wait! The anticipation was killing me. This plant with her flower was slow going, and teaching me patience!

The next day I went out, and the flower was limp and drooping. She was spent.

Well, doggone it! I waited and waited, then missed the flower in all its glory!

I searched the plant app on my phone and found out this was a Queen of the Night cactus. She has brilliant blooms, but only at night.

The plant’s nickname? Christ in the Manger. That caused me to ponder on what Jesus and the flower have in common.

The world waited in great anticipation of His birth. The shepherds knew Messiah was born, because they watched the night sky and saw His star. God knew from the beginning of time when and where Jesus would be born, but all of us on earth had to wait, and wait. And still we wait for Him to come again.

I waited and waited in anticipation of the flower’s bloom.

The tiny bud of this flower forms and grows, much like the boy Jesus did. He even taught in the temple when He was twelve!^⁠1

Jesus has a short three year ministry here on earth. At what point would you say He bursts forth in full bloom, in all His glory?

At His birth?

At the miracles He performed?

At His death? Oh, no way, it was at His resurrection!

Or was it?

Perhaps it may have been when He was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.^⁠2

Three times in the garden, Jesus prayed to His Father God:

“Please take this cup of suffering from Me.”

I believe Jesus really blossomed after asking the third time. There was a slight change in His attitude. The two previous prayers, He had said “Not my will, but Yours.” However, the third time He prayed, Jesus actually surrendered to God’s will for Him.

“Get up, let’s go!”^⁠3

In other words, “Time’s a-wastin’, I must be about my Father’s business.”

In a dark corner in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus bloomed. No one saw, there was no fanfare. Just quiet, resolute surrender to God’s will for Him.

It was a subtle shift. The two disciples with Him probably missed it, because they were sleeping. Just like I missed my flower bloom.

My flower burst forth for one night in all its glory.

Jesus burst forth in surrender to God’s will, and for God’s glory.

We can bloom, too, when we surrender our will to the Father’s.

We can bloom when we surrender to our Father’s will.

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PS – the next time I saw a bloom, I stayed awake to take pictures…

¹Luke 2:41-52

²Matthew 26:36-46

³Matthew 26:46

Out of Steam

February 15, 2018 by Ellen 6 Comments

I punctured the bag at the “Cut here” line. All the pent up steam whooshed out, scorching my finger.

A red welt immediately popped up. This must be a third degree burn. Pretty sure I’m scarred for life. Seriously. Cause you know, that’s what third degree burns from veggies do – they scar you! It had been a long, hard day (week, really) and now I’m fighting vegetables. And they are winning.

I’m dain bread by the end of the day. Poured out. Empty. Like the bag of veggies, I’m deflated and out of steam. I don’t even know what to write about anymore. Could you tell, since I’m writing about frozen vegetables?

Brain dead. Tired. I need deliverance.

For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “You will be delivered by returning and resting…” Isaiah 30:15a HCSB

Deliverance by returning to the Lord and resting in Him. Yes, that sounds lovely! Jesus tells us this, too: “Come to Me…and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Why, then, am I struggling so? I’m coming to Jesus each day, reading my Bible and having a time of prayer. And still I find myself empty, in need of rest.

Possibly, like the Israelites of Isaiah 30, I’m not willing.

Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on Me—The very thing you’ve been unwilling to do. (Isaiah 30:15b MGS)

It’s hard to imagine that I would be unwilling to find rest in the Lord. Perhaps like the Israelites, I’d rather do things my own way. I rearrange my schedule, take things off my calendar and STOP doing things, in order to start binge watching episodes of Criminal Minds. All so my mind can rest. Only, that’s not working out so great.

Maybe, I just don’t know how to come to Jesus for rest. I think my prayer time and scripture reading should do it. But obviously there is more.

Possibly, the key is in these two words: complete dependance.

Absolute and total dependance on Jesus. We need to bring every little thing to Him, every little hiccup and detour that throws our day. Everything. He’s the Savior of the word. He can handle it!

In our weakness, His strength takes over. His strength becomes our strength. Instead of deflating, we will have a quiet confidence, trusting in Jesus, in His ways, and in His timing.

I’m not going to lie to you at this point. Complete dependance takes intentional practice. It doesn’t come naturally to us – especially if you are head strong like me and those Israelites. Stiff-necked is what God calls us.

We will need to cultivate the habit of total reliance on Jesus, every minute of every hour of the day. And for that, we’ll need to pray without ceasing.

It makes me tired just thinking about it. But, really, it’s the only way to find true rest.

#2018 #YearofChange #YearofJoy #YearofRest

Grace be with you,