It was smaller than the others
The plant guy gave us credit or a “no charge”- chalking it up as a loss based on size and the lack of probability to sell
The chickens pecked holes in what few, tiny leaves it did have
Our boys whacked the rest of the leaves with sticks until they were gone
I forgot to water it more days than not
The wind blew it over and busted the pot it called home
Another plant fell on it and smashed the center out of it
Doomed before it ever had a chance to bloom.
But instead of throwing it out
I brought it home
Repotted it
Watered it
Sat it in a cozy little spot on the porch
And watched it
the discarded, battered begonia as it began to bloom where it was planted.
When the county fair rolled around a couple months later
I thought, why not?
The begonia, destined for doom- instead brought home a blue ribbon, a Flower Show Award and is still going strong today…
Maybe today you feel a bit like my pathetic little begonia did: defeated, discarded, battered, or broken.
Maybe you’re thirsty, desperate for attention, aching to matter to someone, anyone.
This is for you.
NO ONE IS EXEMPT
The more I look for women looking for purpose the more women I find looking for purpose.
This weekend I was given the honor & privilege to encourage a talented, gracious, creative group of women at Chelsea Village Baptist Church. I left them with a challenge to trust and obey God as never before. Believing He has a plan a purpose for each one of them.
Do you believe God has a plan and a purpose for you?
When was the last time you noticed God using the most unsuspecting of people to accomplish His purposes?
Harlots included.
Meet Rahab:
2 Joshua son of Nun secretly sent out from Shittim two men as spies: “Go. Look over the land. Check out Jericho.” They left and arrived at the house of a harlot named Rahab and stayed there.
2 The king of Jericho was told, “We’ve just learned that men arrived tonight to spy out the land. They’re from the People of Israel.”
3 The king of Jericho sent word to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you to stay the night in your house. They’re spies; they’ve come to spy out the whole country.”
4-7 The woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, two men did come to me, but I didn’t know where they’d come from. At dark, when the gate was about to be shut, the men left. But I have no idea where they went. Hurry up! Chase them—you can still catch them!” (She had actually taken them up on the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax that were spread out for her on the roof.) So the men set chase down the Jordan road toward the fords. As soon as they were gone, the gate was shut.
8-11 Before the spies were down for the night, the woman came up to them on the roof and said, “I know that God has given you the land. We’re all afraid. Everyone in the country feels hopeless. We heard how God dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt, and what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you put under a holy curse and destroyed. We heard it and our hearts sank. We all had the wind knocked out of us. And all because of you, you and God, your God, God of the heavens above and God of the earth below.
12-13 “Now promise me by God. I showed you mercy; now show my family mercy. And give me some tangible proof, a guarantee of life for my father and mother, my brothers and sisters—everyone connected with my family. Save our souls from death!”
14 “Our lives for yours!” said the men. “But don’t tell anyone our business. When God turns this land over to us, we’ll do right by you in loyal mercy.” -Joshua 2 The Message (MSG)
How many times have we said, “There’s no way God could use me after all that I have done?”
How many times have I thought in my puffed up self-righteousness, there’s no way God can use that one.
Y’all, I’m rank without His grace. Seriously. If not for Jesus, what a disaster I’d still be..
And yet, NO ONE IS EXEMPT.
God has a PLAN & A PURPOSE for each and every one of us.
Just yesterday while at the jail, sitting across from a woman, with beautiful dark hair, deep-sad, brown eyes with not a tooth in her head, she said to me,
“I want to do better. Be better- because I know better. My momma raised me right. I know and have accepted Christ as Savior. I’ve just walked away and have been doing life my way. Pain pills lead to other things and other things led me here.”
“..the messiest waste of our lives becomes the most fertile soil.” –Jennie Allen
YES! and,
20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good…..
Genesis 50:20 New King James Version (NKJV)
Be encouraged my friends. We’re in this together. Our pain is not in vain. God is working all things together for our good.
Fix your eyes on Jesus may we remember to “run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize which is God’s call through Christ Jesus to the life above.” Philippians 3:14 TEV
Turn from the doom that so easily ensnares us and turn to Christ where you are sure to bloom.
Love y’all and this community of encouragers so very, very much
PS-Will you please remember my new friend when you pray?
Oh sweet friend… These words are so convicting for what I know is true. I am living my life with intention, on purpose, but with doubt. Intention is first gear, with purpose is second, (i really wind second out) commitment is third gear and I am grinding that to lock it in but it keeps popping out like my old Mustangs gears! I know that my commitment is there, I just get distracted and I pop out of gear so my engine is racing but I’m not getting anywhere. Thank you for you, so I can understand God’s whisper. Feel like I am rambling but God will straighten it all out. You are a blessing!!