Z is for - I got to see "z"-tulips - wow!

 A Devotional by Margot Cioccio 

Song of Songs 2:

¹⁰ My lover spoke and said to me,
   “Arise, my darling,
   my beautiful one, and come with me.
¹¹ See! The winter is past;
   the rains are over and gone.
¹² Flowers appear on the earth;
   the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
   is heard in our land.

This weekend while on my road trip I got to do something that I have wanted to do for many years. I got to see the Washington tulip fields in full bloom. Wow  - when God paints it is spectacular.  I had to get up at 5:30am to be able to fit this little side trip into my busy day. It was well worth missing a bit of sleep.

I'm pretty tired and need a weekend to catch up from my weekend.
  
Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

 

 These flowers have been a sight that has drawn people from mile away to come see them. Their lovely beauty will soon fade. This weekend however, they were arrayed in full splendor.

We got to these fields early and there were only a few other photographers out taking photos. My friend Ryan went back later in the day and said that you could not even find a place to park there were so many people trying to view the tulips in all their glory.

I realized some things while on my road trip. There are some parts of my life that I shut down and avoided because those activities were things that triggered memories I wanted forget. It dawned on me that in so doing I have perhaps distanced myself from parts of God's intended design, plans and purposes for my life.   I realized in one of the classes I took during the conference, that I have allowed my mind to develop but my heart is about 3 sizes too small in comparison. In some ways I have been like a fish trying to live in the trees rather than living in the water and fully realizing the joy of swimming and doing things that I was created to do.  Forgive me Lord - for allowing pain and fears to rule me.

I realize how I need to allow my heart to bloom and grow for God's plan to be fully accomplished in my life. I am looking back now at some of the things that I have avoided and seeing God restore and bring back some things that once brought me great joy. I'm not sure exactly how those things will

unfold. I realize that I have over developed some other areas.

I certainly accept God's sovereignty and believe that the steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord. He is so patient with me and has allowed me to develop in other areas. He has been patient to wait until I could get to a place of seeing what I have done to myself as a result of stuffing, burying things, avoiding feeling pain. God never forces his way into the secret or hidden places. He waits for us to relize that we need him. That we can't make it on our own.  Then he comes.

Alas we have come to the end of the A-Z Challenge posts for this year. It has been a really positive experience in my mind. Thanks A-Z team for all that you have done during the challenge to encourage bloggers. I will continue to try and visit the blogs of other participants - congratulations to those who made it through the alphabet in April.  I know for some A-Z challenge, was about having to post daily.  I have been positing Monday - Friday since July 2011 as part of reaching my own challenge goal of writing a 365 day daily devotional. So I would be thrilled if you would follow along and be doubly blessed if you would pass my site link (http://devotionals-margot.blogspot.com/)on to your friends. I always enjoy your comments and would welcome suggestions for things you might like me to write aout in future posts.

Prayer: Dear Lord,
Help us to bloom and grow. If there are areas in our lives that have been left un-developed or avoided because of some deep wounds help us to allow you to come. Bring your healing, help us to forgive, to repent. Help us see those things we have viewed wrongly and begin to see them through your eyes. Give us the grace to view things through a new grid and enable us to discover the parts of your plan that we have been afraid to walk in. Allow courage to rise up in each of us that we might like these flowers be arrayed in your splendor as we walk more fully in your design and purposes for our lives. 
 

My favorite of the photos I took.

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