New Life in Brokenness

I get to enjoy this beautiful flower on my desk today because of a mistake!  It broke off while I leaned over a plant that I was watering in my garden.  Just when I began to feel disappointed that I had shortened the beauty of this particular bloom, I saw that right behind it another bloom was quickly forming.  It reminded me how God works in my life.  Just as I begin to mourn the loss of something I have come to enjoy, he gives me a wonderful vision of what is to come.  He is constantly working new things into our lives and the world around us.

“I am about to do something new. It is beginning to happen even now. Don't you see it coming? I am going to make a way for you to go through the desert. I will make streams of water in the dry and empty land.”  Isaiah 43:19, NIRV

God showed this verse to me a few years ago, during a time of changing seasons.  My time living and working in North Carolina was coming to a close and a new opportunity to serve in ministry in El Salvador was emerging.  Many things were uncertain, but God remained my steady rock.  I am now on the other side of that journey, enjoying the new opportunity in El Salvador, able to see how God does keep his promises and they are definitely worth the wait!

I know that God is working something new in your life, too!  Maybe you are in a season of dryness and desert living.  If so, trust that He “will make streams of water flow in the dry and empty land” you are experiencing.  I pray He will send you a simple reminder today of His great love for you and the many mercies He sends your way each day.  

If you are embarking on a new adventure, take courage in knowing that God is with you, leading you each step of the way.  Enjoy His sweet presence in the obstacles and blessings that you encounter.  Look for new life springing up all around! 

Choose to be a sign of Hope in the life of someone today.  Offer them encouragement in your words, actions, and spoken prayers.  Send a note to a friend who you know is going through a difficult time.  Make a point to speak kind words to the person who bags your groceries today.  Ask God to give you an opportunity to be a reminder of the HOPE we have in Him today!