Monday Motivation: Cracks

Friends

Are you, like me, a fan of flowers? What’s blooming in your yard? How about your soul?

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Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Isaiah 64:8 – NIV

I adore Vinca. It’s my favorite flower. Every spring, I have to control my obsession because I want to buy some of every color. That’s the thing about Vinca. It comes in a wide range of colors and even styles.

I have Vinca scattered throughout what used to be the old rose garden. It’s tucked away in smaller beds too. Then there are my pots. Well, those are another obsession!

A mix of bright blue, flaming red, gleaming white and shiny black pots form flower gardens on my front porch and back garden area. Another grouping lines the brick half wall of our carport. This particular spot is perfect for Vinca. Offering just the right amount of morning sun, this colorful collection of pots hosts a delightful mix of white polka dot, apricot, and cranberry. They are gorgeous!

But here’s the thing about Vinca. They love to leave their mark, shedding their seeds into the soil to return the next year in mid-summer. As a matter of fact, my back flower bed now displays not only the mix of white polka dot and black cherry I planted this year, but also a taste of three different colors I planted over the past couple of years. I love it! It’s fun to see what will pop up next and surprise me.

The real surprise this year though has been what happened on the concrete driveway below the grouping of pots near the carport. In that portion of the driveway, there are several lengthy cracks in the well aged concrete, and Eric has to spray regularly for weeds that take root in these winding cracks. On one of his recent spraying rounds, I heard him chuckle and call out, “Hey honey, come here. You gotta see this!”

In a neat row along two of the large cracks was a line of Vinca plants with lush green leaves and tiny white blooms poised to open. I laughed out loud, amazed at the ingenuity of this delicate flower.

We decided to let the plants have their way and see what would happen. My unbidden garden is flourishing, making me smile every time I step out front. But beyond smiling, those tiny plants make me think.

I can’t help but ponder the resilience of those tiny seeds finding a home in the cracks. Beauty born out of brokenness.

In the cracks, the seed of growth was planted, the seed that spread from the beautiful pots just a few feet away. The seed that should have been washed away in the storm, but somehow clung to the crack, reaching out, hanging on, refusing to give up. The seed that found just enough soil to take root. The seed that despite the odds against it, sent forth lush green leaves. The seed that refused to call it quits, but instead now blooms brightly, its gorgeous white flower decorating my driveway.

We are all broken. The trials of life leave us battered and bruised, weary and withered. We are vessels, clay pots formed by the hands of The Potter for beauty, and yet, the cracks in our clay exterior run deep, our soil spilling out, washing away with the raindrops of our tears. Heartache after heartbreak brings more cracks, more leaks, more tears until we feel useless, barren, unworthy.

Still, the tiny seed that was planted deep in the soil by the Gardener lives on, and all the sorrow cannot wash it away. It springs forth from the cracks, resilient, resplendent, resurrected.

God can take broken and make it bloom. God does His best work in the cracks, planting tiny seeds of faith in those bits of good soil, then watering those precious seeds with His amazing love. New life blooming in the cracks, the cracks where His light gets in.

Beauty from brokenness, joy despite painful circumstances. Brilliant color overcoming darkness. Amazing love that cannot be washed away by the storms of life. Abundant life spilling out from the cracks.

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He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Psalm 147:3 -NIV

PRAYER

O Father God, how wondrous are Your works, how beautiful Your creation. Your light shines in the darkness bringing new life out of the cracks. In Your loving hands, broken can become beauty. Despair can turn to joy. O Lord, plant the seeds of new life in us that we might bring You all the glory.

In the Magnificent Name of Jesus, we pray,

Amen

Blessings,

Anita

-APS 9/14/2020