This spring has been odd. It followed a very mild winter, and turned hot , early summer hot, in mid-march. The flowers were confused so they came out early. The beautiful magnolia tree outside my front window was blooming beautifully until the frost overnight covered it a week after it began to bloom. That frost turned the delicate flowers a lovely shade of brown, from the beautiful pale pink they were intended to be.
A lot of the magnolia trees lost all of their beautiful blossoms, but thankfully not the one in my front yard. Not all the blossoms had broken through their furry winter coat, so they were not effected by the frost. As I look out the front window I see the leaves starting to break out of their buds and there are still some pale pink flowers. How beautiful!
The magnolia tree in my front yard got a second chance to be beautiful and I am very thankful for that. What I also love is that my God is a God of second chances. He can turn the cold darkness in our lives into great things for His honor and His glory.
Just before Jesus was arrested, and Simon Peter would deny him, Jesus warned him of what was to come. "“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”" I love it. Jesus wanted Simon Peter to use his story, his failings to help others He wanted Simon Peter to use his story to encourage others in their faith. Jesus was giving him a second chance.
Jesus wants to use our story to encourage those around us in their faith as well. We can use the struggles we have gone through to encourage those going through similar situations. We can bring hope to their lives that it is possible to gain victory over the situation.
Second Corinthians 1:3-4 says, "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."
God can use it all, if only we will allow Him. The enemy would love us to focus on the negative, the dead flowers, but God wants us to focus on the new growth, the plan He has in store for us.
How about you? What will you choose to focus on?
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