He Lifts Me Out of the Mire

Good morning, Lord.  It’s gray again after several days of lovely sunshine and some light showers.  Spring is truly blossoming.  I love the beauty of each flower and think about the struggle through frozen soil, dirt and mud, ever growing closer to the surface.  The shoot appears and then a strong stem.  Sunshine and soft rain caress it after the storms of winter.  Grimy and struggling, it made its way to the fresh air and light.  When storms rage in our lives or the cold, harshness of grief and trial, we feel trapped in the confines of the mire.  We are blinded to beauty.  We are chilled with the horror of the pain or loss.  But, have we been forgotten?  Is our Savior not continually ministering to us, even in the muddy confines?  Slowly, life returns and we make our way through the mess and into the light.  Storms pass and we are cleansed with gentle showers and warm sun.  We slowly open up to life again.  At this time, we are able to bloom with beauty due to the rigors of the trial.  If a bulb does not undergo darkness, it will not bloom.  This past winter, I decided to put my tulip bulbs in the basement, in total darkness.  There they resided, untended by me, for the entire season.  The next time I looked, I saw little shoots and put them in a pot.  For the first time, I am seeing buds on them.  I had never allowed them to mature in the darkness before, and they could not fulfill their destinies.  So it is with the life we are given.  We must have times of darkness and solitude to mature and rest and gain strength to grow.  We can then minister beauty and comfort to others when our blossom is complete, but first we must go through the process like the bulb.  Trials are a part of life and can cause us to dry up and decay if we don’t handle them properly.  When we allow God to care for us (even when it seems He has forgotten us), we will become the glorious flower or tree He created.  We can then bear much fruit and lighten the load of someone else going through deep trials.

            Thank You, Lord, for this word.  I worship and bow down before You.  I glorify Your name in all the earth.  The earth is filled with the wondrous glory that is only a minor facet of Your glory.  Blessed be the great and glorious God Almighty.  I love You.  I praise You.  I thank You for lifting me out of the mire to do Your will and touch hurting lives.  Holy is the Lord.  I bow down and worship You, Lord.