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There are times in life when everything seems to be going extremely well. Our days are bright and sunny. Our family and friends are happy and healthy. We have a great job or are doing well in school. We’re able to pay our bills on time, and there is even some money left over at the end of each month. We are experiencing a time of abundance and everything seems to be going according to “our” plan. |
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But then something happens and puts a “freeze” on our seemingly perfect life. A life threatening diagnosis. The death of a close family member or friend. A pink slip or a failing grade. A collection call or notice of foreclosure. Suddenly we find ourselves struggling just to make it through each day. It may feel as if all our hopes and dreams are dying. |
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But God is not finished with us yet. Slowly he prunes away that which keeps us from him and hinders us from living the life he has in store for us. |
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For our story is not finished yet. Out of our struggle, a new and better life may unfold. One that we can only imagine and that will give us an incredible story to tell. |
The story behind the photos: For years, I have grown Aloe Vera in my backyard which is doable when you live in SE Texas. What started as about 6 small young plants, multiplied to at least 30-40 as time went on. An abundance to be sure. When the temperature dipped near freezing, my family and I would bring the smaller plants into the garage and cover up the larger ones we could not. Most winters, this worked just find and even the plants left covered outside would come out of the cold months with just a few minorly frostbitten branches. The 2017-2018 winter was a different story. After two major freezes by Texas standards with the last bringing us a legitimate ice storm, my Aloe Vera plants had endured more cold than they could handle. I spent the next few months periodically trimming back the dead branches and digging up whole plants that did not appear to have survived. Then, during late May that year, I found a surprise lying in the grass. Out of one of the uprooted and nearly dried out plants, several new shoots were growing! What I thought was dead was in fact alive! This resilient plant has once again been planted, and I look forward to watching him grow.