Vibrant Colorado wildflowers dotted the landscape only a few weeks ago, but now, their appearance is lackluster at best. The sun is still bright overhead, but there's a crispness in the air that tells me a new season is on its way.
Every year, as I watch the wildflowers fade, I'm reminded of the lessons they still have to teach us. Autumn may be a prequel to winter, but if we live in the way of the wildflower, it's not a season to be lamented.
By God's grace, the wildflowers in bloom remind us what it looks like to be dependent, free, resilient, unhurried, and beloved. But do you know what happens as they go dormant? Roots that were strengthened by spring and summer winds remain protected in the soil and wait for moisture from the gentle covering of winter snow. Just under the surface, invisible work is preparing the wildflowers for a new season of growth that is yet to come.
Wildflowers don't protest their dormancy… they are patient, submitting to God's plan in a long season of waiting. What if we, too, received our waiting seasons with patience? With thanksgiving for the invisible work that's preparing us for a new season of growth?
I'm no stranger to striving during the not-yet seasons of life, but when I pause to "consider the wildflowers" (Luke 12:27 NIV) I'm reminded that the rhythm of God's ways — including dormancy — is a gift.
I'm convinced that thankfulness is what carries us through the long, dormant seasons we'll experience in life.
Thankfulness is what helps us cultivate a posture of patience as we submit to all the Master Gardener is cultivating.
Though it isn't always comfortable, the inner work He's completing in our hearts is preparing us for new seasons of growth:
When He calls us to rest, just as we're reaching full bloom
When He says, "Slow down," just as we're building momentum
When He covers our talents with a gentle blanket of protection
God's work in our lives is always for our good.
"If waiting is this fruitful, we can't afford not to be patient — awake, faithful, and watchful for God's plans and purposes with eager anticipation. After all, we know how the story ends, and we can be confident that nothing is wasted." (The Way of the Wildflower, Meditation #22, "When You're Still Waiting")
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