For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
~John 3.16

I collect memories, snapshots of life frozen in time by the click of a shutter. Most of them, I keep for myself.

Some might see imperfection in this picture; others might think its consideration unworthy of little more than a glance. I see it differently. I see God’s provision to His created beings. From its leafy beginning to beyond its elegant bloom, this flower is giving the very best of what it has to offer to what surrounds it. Honey bees gather pollen and nectar, swallowtails rest upon its velvety petals eating lunch, finches will pluck seeds for breakfast.

What is left is something a little worn, a little scarred that exudes a lot of graceful beauty, a glimmer of truth.

God created me to be like this plant, thriving under His omnipotent provision of life; He created me to be a giver, not a taker. He created me to be a fruit bearer. He created me to love even when I am not loved, even when I do not want to love.

And so, as it is, dwelling in the world leaves me like the flower – a little worn, a little scarred; no doubt a little empty, a little lost.

So I meditate upon the Word, feed my heart, utter a prayer and confess a desire for Him to weed out unholiness; for I am an imperfect woman dwelling in an unholy world and too often I give Satan a foothold. And then Abba gently lifts me up and begins to work. He snips a bit of anger here, a few unkind thoughts-not-yet-words over there, perhaps a little sprig of bitterness from right here and some ingratitude sprouting up in its shadow. He prunes any unholiness Satan can capitalize upon to tarnish Yeshua’s image. For He is the Vinedresser, pruning me in ways He deems necessary in order to cause me to bear fruit. He gives a little water to quench my thirsty spirit, some rest for my weary soul, sets me back down in the world again, ready to bear fruit worthy of the King I serve.

I consider this snapshot, this nibbled flower bloom once again. In what is missing, I see what has been able to thrive. This unique gem will not ever cease to give; the uneaten seed will fall upon the ground only to emerge in the spring and begin its work all over again. I look upon the nibbled petals and wonder what is scarred in my spirit by the takers and the haters of this world; what cultivated beauty might be brought forth as Adonai prunes unholiness, works to sanctify me. Within my willingness to abide in His lavish love each moment, what might I be able to offer to an unholy, unbelieving world?

Perhaps, the best gift I may offer, is to love as Yeshua loves – not with a love confined to this perverted world’s definition – but with a sacrificial love that is Scripturally defined. It is only then the graceful beauty of His truth emerges into this world to changes hearts. And I know this is true because it was Yeshua’s sacrificial love that changed mine.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God,
and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
In this the love of God was made manifest among us,
that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.  
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us
and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
~1 John 4.7-11