Flourish

Planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.

Psalm 92:13

Flourish - from the Old French word, floriss, meaning to bloom, blossom,

flower, or to prosper. Mentioned throughout scripture, flourish in the

Hebrew is like spreading your wings. It’s beautiful and godly. It’s lovely

and freeing. But to truly flourish in life, we must stay close to God. Then

carefully look to see his world through his eyes.

Every year on January 1st, I choose a word to accompany me throughout

the year. It then becomes my word. Through the help of the Holy Spirit,

it’s a word that has nestled its way into my heart. It’s one in which I’ve

chosen to ponder. And one in which I talk to God about daily, and with his

help, grow. I’ve been doing this for the past five years. I love it. A few

years back...my chosen word was flourish. To flourish is to grow. And

knowing that growth is also God’s will for us, makes it essential, and all

the more alluring.

But one might be inclined to think that as Christians, if we simply point

ourselves towards joy and look to love others as Christ did, we will

flourish. All we need is love and joy. Wrap that in the big, red bow of

sharing the good news of the gospel and we’re all set, right? Not quite.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s

purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

Behind the scenes, God is always working. He’s playing a bigger part

than anything we can imagine. And he knows everything, I repeat,

absolutely everything.

At each and every moment of our lives, God knows the intricate, beautiful,

and complex details of our hearts and minds. He knows every hope and

dream we’ve ever had. He knows every hurt, and every disappointment.

He knows every laugh, every genuine smile, and every tear. He

completely understands all the joys and the heartaches. And he knows

exactly all that is to come. His compassion is without end, and his timing

is impeccable. God always knows our needs. And he knows exactly what

we need to flourish, to flourish for His glory.

The Wind

I love sporting events! The fun, the music, the atmosphere, and you name

it - baseball, basketball, or football. Once, I even enjoyed the high energy

excitement of a hockey game in Los Angeles. One minute some dude’s

face is being pressed into tempered glass, the next minute I’m doing the

chicken dance. I love the chicken dance. And I’ve heard that the NHL

playoffs take that electricity on ice to a new level.

But it really doesn’t matter the game, or the outcome, I’ve always had a

respect for a heart that plays to win. I think it’s fair to say that Tom

Brady, the most successful quarterback in NFL history, is a household

name. Like him or not, he has led his teams to a record of seven Super

Bowl victories and was named the game's MVP (Most Valuable Player)

five times.

But early in his career, he once said, “I was the kid that was the 199th

pick that never had the body for it. People didn't think I'd play one year in

the NFL.”

Yet his stats reveal his dedication to persevering, one play after the other.

Tom Brady, and every other successful athlete, knows that to flourish in

one’s career, or in life, it’s not going to be easy. In 2017 Brady shared

the following poem with fans.

“Good Timber” was written in 1922 by American poet, Douglas Malloch.

He’s also known as “the Lumberman’s Poet”.

Good Timber

The tree that never had to fight

For sun and sky and air and light,

But stood out in the open plain

And always got its share of rain,

Never became a forest king

But lived and died a scrubby thing.

The man who never had to toil

To gain and farm his patch of soil,

Who never had to win his share

Of sun and sky and light and air,

Never became a manly man

But lived and died as he began.

Good timber does not grow with ease,

The stronger wind, the stronger trees,

The further sky, the greater length,

The more the storm, the more the strength.

By sun and cold, by rain and snow,

In trees and men good timbers grow.

Where thickest lies the forest growth,

We find the patriarchs of both.

And they hold counsel with the stars

Whose broken branches show the scars

Of many winds and much of strife.

This is the common law of life.

I love the depth and the truth within this poem. And to re-emphasis one

line in particular “good timber does not grow with ease, the stronger the

wind, the stronger the trees”.

There’s truth in that. Trees that grow in the wild are constantly moving

due to the wind. The wind causes stress in the load-bearing structure of

the tree. As a result, the tree grows something called reaction wood (or

stress wood). It’s the tree’s attempt to straighten up its branches and its

trunk in which it has been altered. It then takes on a different structure,

in terms of cellulose or lignin content. The result is that it becomes better

positioned to get the best light, or other optimum resources to become

solid and to thrive.

As Christians there’s much wisdom that can be parelled to this concept.

As we flourish for Christ, we know that the wind will blow. Sometimes it

feels more of a soft breeze, other times it’s more of an icy blast.

Regardless, there will be struggles, Jesus assured us. But with the help of

the Holy Spirit, we will keep growing, and we will inevitably become

more Christlike. Because it’s in the heavy winds that we learn to trust

God even more, and consequently our faith grows. And Hebrews 11:6

reminds us, And without faith it is impossible to please God.

We know that we are called to have faith and to persevere, as God looks

to take up more space in our hearts.

Throughout scripture we are reminded of this.

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God,

you will receive what he has promised. Hebrews 10:36

if we endure, we will also reign with him. 2 Timothy 2:12

And God never told Job why he must endure so much. But we know that

in his suffering (and in his blessings), God was always with him, and God

was always for him.

But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to

them in their affliction. Job 35:15

A young tree once plead with its maker,"Why have you allowed so many

storms come into my life? If I go through one more winter, with the heavy

wind upon me, I may break." His maker whispered, "Someday you will

understand. Until then, stand firm. You will make it through the storms of

life. Keep growing, and allow your roots to grow deep within the soil.

Trust me. I’m doing something new."

In Closing

Flourishing under the will of God will not always come with ease.

Sometimes we feel like the sun is shining just for us...life is good, and

everything is blooming. Other times growing with the Lord feels like

we’re losing our petals, like we’re withering away. But that’s just a result

of dying to self. Or the effect of living in a broken world. And yes, being

a mom really is truly a blessing, a beautiful gift. However, we are sure to

have our own harsh winds and difficulties through the years.

Just when we think we have one aspect conquered, a new challenge

awaits us. From rebellious toddlers to rebellious teens. From sleepless

nights to the longest days. From finding contentment, to finding balance.

And from loneliness, to exhaustion. Through it all, God stays... He stays

right by our side and helps us grow.

In truth and eloquence, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:13, And now these

three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

As we flourish for God’s glory, we too will flourish in our own ways...

Because as our roots grow deeper with Christ, we also grow. We grow in

faith, in hope, and in love, which feels much like spreading our wings.

3-2-1

3 Scripture Verses, 2 Quotes

and 1 Question to Consider

3 Scripture Verses

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your

lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you

were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the

one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

In his days may the righteous flourish and prosperity abound till the moon

is no more. Psalm 72:7

2 Quotes

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the

airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” - Henry Ford

“What lies behind us, and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared

to what lies within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

1 Question to Consider

Will you embrace the winds in your life, and then flourish for God’s glory?