Blooming In Winter

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

In the blistering heat of summer, I bought a Christmas cactus at a farmer’s market, hoping to enjoy fiery red blooms when winter came. I researched optimal conditions for this plant and tried to replicate them in my home. But deep down, I was almost certain my little plant wouldn’t survive my rookie gardening know-how.

When November came, I moved the fledgling plant to our sunroom, gave it a spritz of water, and left it there—out of sight, out of mind. In the winter, I avoid the sunroom altogether. It isn’t heated, so even when sunlight filters in, it remains frigid.

One day, after the cactus had been left alone for quite some time, I opened the curtains and spotted a bloom that had grown when I wasn’t paying attention.

As the days progressed, more tiny cherry-colored buds appeared and began to unfurl. Like icicles slowly melting, tears puddled in my eyes as I beheld this winter wonder. Even when the world looks barren and we are huddled indoors, God is still growing good things. He purposefully made this little cactus to bloom wildly in winter. So it is with our lives. He brings light and color to our gray world in places we least expect, and he brings hope when we aren’t even looking.

You may be facing a season in your life when the ground seems fallow, blooms have retreated, and it feels impossible to believe that beauty could come from your brokenness. Or perhaps you are facing pressure at work, the weight of being a full-time caregiver, or the tragedy of loss, divorce, or a medical diagnosis, and all you can do right now is survive. You are longing for growth, for God to bring something beautiful out of the soil of your soul. Remember this: God is always at work beneath the surface, even if you can’t see the evidence right now. He will bring good things to fruition in his perfect timing.

Isaiah 43:18-19 holds a beautiful promise from God to the Israelites, calling them to forget the past and behold the new things he would do. Isaiah prophesied these words to serve as a comfort to the people of Judah, who would soon endure a seventy-year exile in Babylon. No matter how dismal their circumstances, God would cup their chins and lift their eyes so they could behold the new ways he was working.

God calls us to do the same. Even when you can’t see any blooms, growth is still happening. When life feels barren, trust the good work he is doing underground, and believe that one day you will feel the thrill of beholding a tiny unsuspecting bud in the soil of your soul.

Word before World Even when we can’t see the evidence, God grows good things in the soil of our souls.

Grow in Grace Think back on a season you’ve endured that felt barren. Looking back, what growth can you see, proving that God was working all along?