My Summer

A few years ago at a youth conference, one of the speakers named Phil Lapp used a beautiful potted plant with mixed flowers as his main object lesson. Each of his sessions had amazing spiritual applications using the plant. In between sessions, we would all notice it beautifully sitting up on stage and be reminded of what lessons learned from it.

Then, on Friday afternoon, he got up and told us that we are God's plant, that God formed each flower and leaf to better show off his splendor and majesty.

But then, Phil picked up garden shears and began to cut of flowers! With every snap of the shears, my heart wrenched.

Why was he cutting off the flowers! Why?

Aren't the flowers symbolizing God's good creations in us?

Was he really going to cut all of them off? No!

This summer can be summarized by saying I am that potted plant. I was full of flowers that only God could produce. I had the life.

Then, one by one, God cut them off.

Why Lord? Not that one! I really liked getting to do that! I wasn't planning on missing this event! Why did those things come up when they did? Why couldn't they wait?

But then, Phil showed us the tiny buds, barely formed, so tiny you could only see them by looking closely.

Hope.

God is clearing the way for his plans, breaking up my fallow ground, preparing me for the next chapter.

I look forward to seeing what God has been preparing me for.

A man's heart plans his way, but The Lord determines his steps.
Proverbs 16:9