I am captivated by the beauty of flowers, especially when the cold and dormant days of winter try to snag my attention and steal my hopes for Spring and new life. Somewhere, beauty is blooming and this rose stands to defiantly attest to it.

No matter how dark and dreary things look in winter, I can be thankful that God’s goodness is still blooming. And gratitude for what was, what is, and what is to come is the key that opens my heart to joy and hope!

“Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory,”

1 Peter 1:8

We need better vision. We need to have the eyes of Christ to see the beauty beyond the things we see as ugly and unwanted. The last thing we think we need, may be the first thing required to prepare us for the life He wants to give us. And the time between the now and the not yet yields the important stuff that causes our hearts to be ready to receive the full weight of the glorious reward.

I’m there right now. I’m waiting. I have hope and I am learning to rest in grace.

“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you in the revelation of Jesus Christ”

1 Peter 1:13

This is a thinking thing. A mindful thing. God has to be the God of my mind. My thoughts are to be brought under the control of the Holy Spirit. They are not to run amuck with the worries and cares of this world. My thoughts are just my thoughts; they cannot control me. They can float by or be acted on according to the information and the permission I give them. They are to be informed by the transforming words of The Bible. Scripture. Truth. Then, and only then, will my faith bloom, even in the midst of a cold and harsh winter season.

Defy the dark today. Make a list of your blessings. That warm cup of coffee that coaxes you awake. The shelter of your home. Things you have or have not because the God who loves you beyond measure only allows what is best for you at the best time for you. And there is nothing that can separate you from His love. (Romans 8:38-39)