Pushing through

It's amazing how much destruction that Hurricane Ike did, and hardly with any rain. The storm surge and wind gusts were outstanding! My mom and I noticed how despite all the storms ravages, it did bring tiny glimpses of joy with it. For example, neighbors truly were forced to become neighbors, families entertained themselves without all of our many electronics, and we learned to be grateful for the things that we daily take for granted-like water and electricity! And one more, which I face right now, is although many fences and houses and trees were sadly destroyed, Ike also brought, blew and somehow planted some random seeds into our yard that we had never planted. A Morning Glory is currently trelling (sp) her way up our Mimosa tree right now and it is glorious! And one of my favorites, a giant Sunflower is bursting through our barren desert (what we call it.) You see, we had an Oak Tree that was plenty old and plenty big in our back yard. We had built a rock floor around it and made it a seating area. But Ike blew that mighty Oak down and split it clear into. I think lightening struck it. Anyways, my mom was pretty sad so I decided to make a garden in the rock floor (with pottted plants only of course...and one right on top of the now lonely oak trunk.) And today, standing as tall as me (not that tall, I know) :) and about ready to bloom, stands a strong and big sunflower. I didn't plant it there. In fact it has to have had a time busting through the tiny cracks in the rock floor. However, sunflowers are my very favorite and the ones I or the birds ever try and plant are frail little things that are just plain pitiful. But God, He planted me a glorious one and I highly anticipate it's bloom "coming forth"! (There's that word again, Gina...perhaps it's connected!) :) Anyways, I just realized that most of my recent posts have become about my yard....sorry. But God teaches me a lot out here-in the early morning while I'm watching my dogs relieve themselves. :) I think of the time some of us have "Pushing Through." The winds of adversity/Ike blow through and we feel ravaged. But God has planted us in His soil so we remain. And then, after time in His Holy ICU, He says, "It is time for you to now, 'Come Forth,' My child." And so we begin our way but find that it is rough pushing through a rock floor. "This is hard, God!" We want to give up but He won't let us! Also, why would you want to give in when times get tough? I want to generationally leave a blessing, not a curse. There are enough of those! Pave a different way for your family line now. I believe we are in the end times and what we chose to do today counts! Let go of the baggage, move forward, and push through! See Exodus 20:4-6. Anyways, we finally we make it through, standing tall, strong and beautiful...a glorious flower for all to enjoy! I'm pushing through my rock wall now and hope to brighten people's days with His radiant Son, just like the sunflower! You see, one of my favorite things about the sunflower is that it's face has to look at the sun in order to stand tall and open and beautiful. "Lord, make me like the sunflower! Looking always to your face..seeking you from hour to hour!" Push though my friends...sweet victory awaits you! And the world needs to see your radiance which points straight to HIM! Hallelujah! !
"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, THE LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." - Isaiah 12:2 & 3.
(P.S. The picture is not of my mentioned flower, obviously, but of some others I got to enjoy during my recent trip to Oregon!)