Post by Nicole Hall
Have you ever asked God to show you who you were? During a period of high stress, personal loss and deep soul searching I asked God to show me who I was. I happened to be on the Nature Walk on the Christian Cultural Center campus and walked slowly down the path looking from side to side. As I asked God to show me who I was so I could understand why I was going through such turbulence, I saw flowers, lush greenery, bushes, trees, and fish.
I saw a bunch of daisies that had sprouted from the same root; one daisy was pointing in the other direction. When I moved closer, I noticed that it was a bit weathered. A few of the petals were missing. I heard the Lord say, “Sometimes you are the only one, set apart. The others are beautiful but so are you.” When I looked, the other flowers looked nearly in the same condition of the daisy that was pointing in another direction. No matter what our condition, God still shows us love. While reading scripture, I found a text that displayed God’s concern for our condition. “When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” John 5:6 NIV
I saw a beautiful bed of pink flowers amid lush green leaves. Oddly enough, there was one white daisy sitting on the outskirts of the green leaves. But in God’s kingdom, it isn’t odd at all. Even though God had said that I was set apart, He also said that I was as beautiful as the others. The little pink flowers and the daisy were all flora from God’s unique garden. That sole white daisy was thriving amongst the green leaves and pink flowers despite being a different variety of plant. God was helping me to thrive. “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice.” Proverbs 29:2, NIV
I noticed one; tall Black-eyed Susan set back deep in a sea of lush green leaves. It seemed so far away from the rest of the Black-eyed Susans. But it was protected by the bushes and surrounded by the other green plants. Its beauty was highlighted and the first thing I saw because it was a splash of color against all green. I also saw one beautiful lavender hydrangea peeking up from a bush but set back behind rocks. In order to reach the hydrangea, I’d have to climb over the rock and reach into the bushes to get it. The flower was protected and I realized that God was protecting me when He set me apart. “You are my hiding place, you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”Psalms 32:7 NIV
The fish pond had several goldfish moving about. But of course, there was one little fish that swam past the others at a quicker pace and disappeared for a few minutes. Suddenly, the same little fish appeared and swam past the others once again. He seemed like he had someplace to go and something to do that couldn’t wait for the others to catch up. God will give us an assignment that He expects us to complete out of obedience. The little fish showed me that being obedient would cause me to move in haste, to do the will of the Father. Jesus taught us, “Your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10 NIV
Despite the turbulence I was experiencing, the Nature Walk gave me peace and confirmed that no matter what was happening around me, God was with me, set me apart and had protected me despite the circumstances. Be encouraged.
