Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers and while they come in a lovely palette of colors and make a beautifully full bouquet, it is the way in which they grow that makes me so fond of them. It is from the old stems of last summer, the new blossoms grow. From what seems to be a dead stem blooms new life. What a reminder of God’s redemptive love and how he makes beauty from ashes and all things new. It is in Christ alone that we pass from death to life eternal. As winter is approaching, my beloved hydrangea bushes in the front yard are nothing but dried, brown, tired stems, but I have hope because I know the work that is taking place in them and that new blooms are going to grow from those dead stems. There is good news for those who feel more like the dried-up hydrangea stems than a beautiful bouquet, who feel more dead than alive, and who are in a season of long-suffering or loss. There is life in you still. Hold on to hope for “truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgement but has passed from death to life (John 5:24).” Just like the hydrangea, God is working in you during this gray season of long-suffering. You may feel shriveled and wilted, but know that He is making you into His new creation and you will fully and wonderfully bloom in time again. When you have blossomed again, look back at your stem and see how the dry, brown stem turned green and give thanks. It is from the merger of old life into new life that the beauty of who you became sprouted. And if you lose your bloom again, know that there is still life in you and that God is once again making you new in Him.
"Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgement but has passed from death to life." John 5:24
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