I recently clipped a flowering branch off a tree in our yard. I thought I could keep it blooming so that I could take a photo of it. Within minutes, cut away from the branch and without water, it wilted. The photo opportunity faded. The beauty of the branch was gone as the life it held evaporated. And so, it is with us. Can we truly live if we are cut off from the vine? If we are separated from God, where do we go to get life? Where do we go to stay alive? To have breath and to live in the splendor and truth of how we’ve been created ? The blooms on the branch looked radiant while attached to the tree. The collective display was grand, a picture of its purpose. It reflected beauty, grace and God’s glory in nature. Then I looked at the wilted branch I had collected and the flowers on it. They were dead. In Luke 24:1-7, we read about the women who went to Jesus’ tomb and when they arrived, found the tomb empty. … very early on Sunday morning t
Our friendships are never coincidental. They are formed by God, through his love and his knowing exactly what we need, at just the right time. Every friendship is like a petal on a flower. It plays an important role in completing a beautiful picture. Friends are the "petals" that make our lives beautiful. They are the people who bring joy and color to our lives. Allow God to work in you and through you, knowing you are a special "petal" in someone's life.