The sun was brutal this summer.
The dusky sky gave no rain.
Days on end brought record heat.
Record drought.

And this was the result.

These dead sticks are supposed to be full of purple flowers.

I gave up on my flower gardens.
Even the grass wouldn't grow.
Everything was parched and brown.

And I got used to it.

So used to it that when the long-awaited rains finally came,
I scarcely noticed the subtle changes.

Amidst the dead,ugly sticks, new life had begun.
At first it was so low to the ground,
anyone would miss it.

But there was no excuse for not noticing
when the dead sticks began to bloom.

The beauty was there to see,
but I had stopped looking for it.

Have you gotten used to life being a white-knuckle event?

• Have you stopped seeing the potential, the beauty, the eternal benefits in what you're doing?

• Are you walking right past the gifts God has given you with scarcely a nod?

Take another look around your life.

• Maybe the rains have come and you didn't notice.

• Maybe that sour, negative attitude has become so much a part of you that you scarcely notice it anymore.

• Maybe that victim mentality has outworn its welcome.

• Maybe your words have started reflecting Satan's lies rather than the truth of God.

Is your life a flower garden that everyone can appreciate but you?
Isn't it time you enjoyed the flowers God has created for your enjoyment?
A flower is a terrible thing to waste.

.