This picture is my front side walk, as you come to my home. As you can see I have planted some beautiful hot pink impatiens. I just love these plants! But if you look closer, you'll notice something else (and I don't mean the weeds!). No, I mean that there in the middle of the hot pink flowers, you will see one group of solid white flowers.Every time I see them, it reminds me of something.
The world is a beautiful "pink" place and it is easy to get lulled into it. But God calls me to be different and set apart. Not to get pulled into the desires of the flesh, the desire to fit in and be the same. God calls me to be clothed in white and to stand out for him. Am I being a light in the darkness of the world?
Guests comment on the white flower. It stands out from the rest. Would people comment when they see me in a group about how I stand out from the rest? Do I shine with a godly light that people see the difference in me that Jesus makes?
Today as you go through your daily life, I urge you to think about if you are standing out from the rest. Would people notice you and want what you have? Are you different then the crowd? Are you growing where you're planted, the good seed planted by the Son, ready for the harvest?
Psalm 51:6-8 -- Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Matthew 5:16 -- In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Matthew 13:37-39 -- He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
17 comments:
May our hearts be of good soil so that the seed can take root and grow strong even in the midst of the choking weeds or pink flowers! :) I will be pondering your questions all week. I hope my life looks as different from the world as your few white flowers do from the pink. Thanks for the soul serching questions!
I love Matthew 5:16! One of my favorite verses! :)
If we humble ourselves, He will lift us up. His name is glorified. May we stand out by being a servant!
Great post!
Sharon :)
I purposely planted pink geraniums in my front yard, since I have usually planted impatiens. Well, wouldn't you know, the geraniums were choked out by pink impatiens that seeded themselves and went CRAZY! And they didn't all come up pink...there were some different shades of pink, whitish-pink, etc.
I love the gardening analogies, and Jesus did, too. I seem to be on a creation kick this week, so I definitely plug in to what you're saying, with glorious flowers.
Important to note that we are all allowed to bloom and grow, but what are our true colors?
Well said by you!
I am definitely not the pink flowers but unfortunately I suppose I am not the white ones either. I guess I am more like Sue J's crazy different shade of pink, whitish pink (with a touch of army green) etc.
I think I am different from the crowd. I just need to step back, take a look, and be sure that I am different in the right way. A way that Jesus would look at and be pleased.
May I be different because of the difference He makes in my life.
Hi CK,
You know, I am looking at this from a different angle. Those white flowers that got mixed up in the pink flower seeds were not meant to be there.
But they bloomed anyway.
Don't you sometimes find yourself in a place you don't want to be? God wants us to bloom there and to realize it is all part of His plan for our lives.
When those white flowers bloomed, it was no surprise to Him. In the same way, when we think that He doesn't know our whereabouts, He is right there, shining His Son down on us, and giving us the chance to bloom for Him!
Oooh, I wish I had flowers in my front walk :-)
Great post tying in the physical with the spiritual!
Honestly I long to be the white flower... I am probably a lighter shade of pink in life right now. The more time I spend in the word and active in recovering from sin the more white I become.... oh how I long to be white!!
Being white is really hard. I work in a secular work place. In a staff of over 50 at our branch two of us (that I know of) are Christians. People know I go to church, but I pretty much stay under the radar here. My co worker however stands up for what he believes in and is often ridiculed by other staff. Not to his face but I hear what they say behind his back. I'm such a coward.
Great post! I long to be those white impatiens and sometimes, I may look like them. Other times, I blend in with the pink ones. I want to stand out in my faith. It's an onging process-day by day, minute by minute!
Love ya,
Susan
Oh I love the CK. How like God to slip that white flower in all those pink ones.
I have found that I have to keep coming back to those questions. "Do I look different (the right kind of different)? Can people see You when they look at me?" He is always faithful to grow me.
Thank you for this wonderful reminder.
I want you to know that I posted my comment before I read the others. ADHD-Jo and me really do think alike sometimes. :)
Planting flowers is merely planting seeds . . . of friendship. You are a bright, warm, spot in a cold world. Keep walking the path . . .
You're pretty awesome--but don't tell anyone I said that!!
ET
Hey ET, I saw that!....You are too!
Congratulations on your one hundred posts! Always a great read.
-Shelley
I absolutely loved this post! Thank you for sharing such heartfelt words.
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