Good morning…
At the end of each semester, my in-home classes enjoy a “Symbols of the Soul” gift exchange. Each of us brings a wrapped gift, worth $20 or less, symbolizing something important we have learned in our season together. At our final celebration, we take turns unwrapping a gift, recalling insights gleaned, and taking home a meaningful symbol of our time together. This semester, the gift I received from one exchange was a chrysanthemum bulb with a small bag of soil, simple directions, and a white pine bark pot.
I have loved planting the bulb in the soil, just as instructed, watering it sparingly, and watching the dead looking bulb sprout fresh, green life, centimeter by centimeter, day after day. God’s growth is like my chrysanthemum:”‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people… “In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land,’” Jeremiah 33:14-15 (NIV).
As I watch this dry, brown bulb sprout fresh, green life, I am reminded that the living Christ, Christ living through us, is the righteous Branch continuing to sprout from David’s line. Centimeter by centimeter, day after day, the LORD is doing what is just and right in our land. Though God does not always make the evening news, the LORD is fulfilling His good promise to the people, centimeter by centimeter, day after day. Amid all of the inner and outer turmoil, are we watching for God’s incremental growth inside and around us?
Sue
