Resurrecting withered dreams

There are many things that I love about my husband. The one particular thing that I love about him, is that he is a visionary. He's one of these guys that when you show him a broken down building, he doesn't see the state that's in, but the potential, and what it could be.

I'm writing this blog today because of a plant. A pumpkin seedling. Our youngest son Hudson came home one day from Kindergarten with a pumpkin seedling in a Styrofoam cup. My husband along with being a visionary, loves a challenge. Hudson has bringing home this pumpkin seed, inspired Derek to take on the challenge to actually grow a pumpkin out of it, despite the very fact that it's winter, in Calgary, in Canada. No matter, we are going to get pumpkins out of that seedling no matter what!!!

So the seedling actually grew into two vines, and it had to be transplanted into a bigger pot. Derek faithfully watered it every day, and actually blew on it to give it Co2... not even joking. Well it started to grow two stems, and it got to be so high that he put a steel pole in the pot to support the stems. Well shortly after that, somehow the leaves and one stem died, or broke somehow. And just yesterday I looked at this poor thing, and it only has one drooping stem, without a leaf left. I looked tenderly at my husband and said "I'm sorry hon, but I think it's time to call it.. the time of death". The next thing that Derek showed me is what inspired me to write this blog: With excitement like a little child he exclaimed "No way.. look there are two leaves still there.. barely budding, but they are budding!" hahahaha. I couldn't believe it, he was right, I had to squint, and had to take the magnifying class, but low and behold the budding leaves were there.Well my head started to fill with this analogy:

This is exactly how God looks at us. We may see a withered,tired, and even dead dream or desire, but God sees what we cannot see most times...LIFE, POTENTIAL, NEW BEGINNINGS. Our family is walking in a season of rebuilding. Philippians 1:6 says "And I'm convinced and sure of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you , will continue until the day of Jesus Christ, developing that good work and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you". Proverbs 19:11" A man's wisdom gives him patience."

God is always at work in our lives. We may not see it, the timing is almost never according to our own, and sometimes we may feel that He is silent and far far away. So how does one keep going when we only see barrenness, and witherings? Well I can only tell you what I do from my experience. Through this season of barrenness I drew closer to the Word of God. God always uses His way to speak to us individually. I believe that the promises He told the prophets, and Moses, and David, and Paul, and Ruth, and the teachings of Jesus still apply today.

What seed has God planted in your heart? What have you done to water, feed and nurture that seed? Do you speak to that seed the promises and principles of the Bible? Has the dream died and need to be resurrected again? I serve a God that raises the dead! Romans 8:11" And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you."

Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. He was dead for four days! So he was already rotting and smelling. All Jesus had to do was SPEAK to Lazarus to rise. Jesus then told the people to remove his grave cloths. What grave cloths do YOU have to remove in order to have your dream resurrected? Have you had a financial loss? A divorce? Are you struggling with an addiction? I encourage you to remove the grave cloths of doubt, fear,disbelief,anger,bitterness.

I love to watch people walk into their freedom. Sometimes we are the ones that are blocking our own dreams from happening. We start to allow the fear,and doubt, and the shame to cloud our VISION. I have to challenge myself to see the VISION that God instilled in me. I encourage you to not see the withering plant, the broken down building, the barren field, but instead look closer and see the little buds that are still ALIVE!!