You Belong Among the Wildflowers

For a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, its insides come out and everything changes. To someone who doesn't understand growth, it would look like complete destruction.  Cynthia Occelli

I'm not sure where that quote is originally from.  I'll be honest and admit that I first read something similar to it in one of Ann Voskamp's latest books which I can't find right now.  The truth is, I lose a lot of things... but I've never lost my kids, so I'm doing ok! (My mind is another story.) Despite the sleep deprivation, the message conveyed in this quote has stuck with me, because it makes me feel capable. Hopeful, even.

But of course there is also a cynical or honest voice who adds that a seed requires optimal conditions for growth.  Don't the seeds of our soul require something similar?

Out here in the country, the groups of wildflowers seem to sing louder than the ones who stand alone.  They draw our eye away from the road, so that we forget for a moment where we're heading while we marvel at their beauty. We don't consider how they got there or if they'll be there next year, we just appreciate that they are there.

The lone wildflowers still whisper loud enough for the bees and the butterflies to hear their song.  They are no less beautiful than the flowers that bloom together.  They are the first of many and likely on new territory.  It's possible that there is only one because prior conditions were unfavorable for wildflower growth.  They may stand alone along a creek that overflows during the rainy months. These solitary flowers may bloom in the sunshine, where before there was shade cast by a flood-uprooted tree.  So many scenarios and tragedies leading up to the seemingly coincidental arrival of this lonely bloom.  Its Creator knows how and why, even if the rest of us don't. The reasons don't matter now because its fulfilling its purpose in simply being there, providing beauty.

It is easy to marvel at the world around us.  We don't have to drive out to the country to appreciate life. Sometimes it is loud and obvious in sharing its beauty with us.  Other times its quietly hidden beneath the resentment we have to work through.  But if seeking beauty becomes our only focus, we can lose sight of the path we're on.

The seed of faith planted in each of our souls requires our permission to break open. That isn't always a beautiful process. That seed didn't make its way there by accident; it was planted intentionally by the one who was first broken for us. Fully accepting that He conquered death under the worst conditions will allow us to live out our purpose which is to bloom under any condition, and radiate his beauty wherever we stand.

Our computer screens are another window.  We don't always like what we see. We're overwhelmed by the good and the bad.  Photos of functional families sharing holidays together remind us of what we are lacking in our own lives, and it stings.  Then, we are overwhelmed by families torn apart in our own country and overseas, where war ravages fields that have forgotten what its like to hold wildflowers.

You cannot change what is there, but you can change your response and that will affect what surrounds you.  What thoughts feed the soil in the field of flowers you belong to, or want to belong to? The condition of our hearts will influence how everything grows within and around us, from our children to the rest of the world.  It begins in our thoughts; makes its way into our homes; influences one relationship (connected to another relationship, that is connected to another)... Simply put, social media shows us that we are all the friend of a friend whether we want to be or not.  Though we may look like a solitary wildflower on the side of a quiet road, we belong to Earth's congregation of flowers. That is why we should:

Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another.

Romans 12:14-15

Maybe you feel like a lost seed among a group of wildflowers.  Maybe you believe that you stand alone with the sun as your only companion.  But there you stand and your purpose is to bloom. Maybe you are the first of many, not knowing how the field you long to be a part of will ever grow on the rocky soil around you.  Starting a new family when you come from a broken one can feel like that. But it's not about perfect conditions. Winds, storms, and floods overwhelm everything that's ever bloomed.  Seeing how others thrive can be a source of strength for you, it doesn't have to lead to ungratefulness or self-doubt.  Witnessing the struggles others face can become an opportunity to remind them of what happens to a seed after its been broken open.  There are no exceptions, we must all break open to bloom even if the circumstances look different.