sweet aroma

Two years ago, I planted some Lavender. After the first winter, over half my plants didn't make it. I was really sad. I remember ripping out the dead shriveled plants and discarding them. I decided to try again with some new plants last spring.

This winter in Iowa was a particularly hard winter. For as long as we have lived in Iowa, I have never seen this amount of snow. I have never seen it last as long as it did. I was concerned that my little lavender plants would not make it once again.

I love the smell of lavender, it has a calming effect. I love the dainty greenery. It reaches heavenward. The color purple reminds me of royalty. I am royalty. I am the King's daughter. It is fitting that I would like purple. There must have been two feet of snow hovering over my plants. In the past couple of days, the snow has melted. I went and checked on my plants today. They looked wonderful. Amazingly, they were green and fragrant. All the rest of my shrubs and plants look dead. I know there is life in there somewhere. But they pale to the amazing condition of the lavender.

What is it that makes things risilient? How can in one moment a plant wither and die, but given even harsher conditions, it would live and thrive. I didn't do anything different with either plantings. God must have. He has another lesson for me through His creation.

Trials have been many these days. I can either choose to weather the storm alone or I can reach my arms upward towards heaven like the lavender. When I am grafted and connected to the TRUE vine, I can't help but have life in me. My prayer is that I would remain in such a posture and at the same time be a sweet aroma to my Lord. That I would trust Him to bring me through any season with life and beauty; no matter how much snow is piled on top of me, for how long. I know that He will breathe on me and melt away all that weighed me down, and that I will once again be thriving in peace and tranquility as I rest and trust in Him alone.