Colleen James

Tag: faith

  • Sweet Home Texas

    Photo by nagaraju gajula on Pexels.com of the blue bonnets in Texas

    We got out of Texas for a while. JJ, the boys, and I flew to the northeast in the summertime to visit his family for a few days, then we drove a couple states south with his mother and nephew to do some exploring. The idea was to visit a city that JJ had been researching online to see if we would potentially want to move there. It’s hard to find housing where we currently live, and with no family in town and a growing desire to experience the four seasons (as opposed to hot, hotter, and a small bout of cold in the winter), we’ve been considering getting out of Texas for a while.

    As we drove south with three young children in tow, the trip had its challenges. But it also had some great moments, too. Most of all, however, this trip was bittersweet—bittersweet, because I’ve grown to love Texas over the years.

    I never would have imagined to have become so fond of this state. As a teenager born and raised in Colorado, I vaguely remember scoffing at the idea of living here, alongside my two sisters, while watching a popular TV series that took place in Texas. Colorado has so much natural beauty, and I just couldn’t imagine living anywhere else in the world at the time.

    More than a decade later, however, God opened the door for me to study in Dallas, so I moved to the state. Ironically, I never finished that degree, but I stayed in Texas all the same, switching schools to study linguistics only 18 miles away. My idea was to finish my degree and go back overseas to pursue missions work. Nonetheless, God had other plans. The calling to missions that I had sensed over my life (and that I was able to fulfill in my twenties) was starting to fade, leaving me with a lot of questions and uncertainty about my future. Fortunately, God was planting a love for teaching English as a second language in my heart throughout that time, and several months after graduating, I was given the opportunity to teach ESL to Spanish speaking seminary students in south Texas.

    It was while living there that I met JJ, and plans changed once again. We married and moved to the west-most tip of the state soon after, where we experienced numerous highs and lows. There, we experienced the joy of welcoming our firstborn into our arms and buying our first home together. There, however, we also experienced the sorrow of dealing with personal health issues within our family, a pandemic, and personal loss. Nonetheless, treasures were forged throughout this time. Through these moments of grief, God was rekindling my love for writing that would develop into something more over time. I started blogging in that home in west Texas, and the sense that I could minister to others and encourage them through my words only grew in the months to follow.

    Six years after our initial move to west Texas, we packed our bags again and moved to a small town not too far from San Antonio, where we currently reside, and there have been plenty of joys and sorrows within our time here, too. We moved here on the heels of our own heartbreak right before the town was to experience its own tragedy. Several months after that, we experienced more heartbreak as our oldest son struggled in school.

    Nonetheless, I clung onto Lamentations 3:22-24, as follows:

    The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
        his mercies never come to an end;
     they are new every morning;
        great is your faithfulness.”

    Furthermore, as the year came to an end, He made a passage from the Psalms to become our reality.

    Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

    -Psalm 30:5b

    The following year, we welcomed a second son into our family and saw our oldest son grow in such wonderful ways. Since then, JJ has also had different opportunities to grow within his profession, and God has given me a greater sense of purpose through writing and publishing my first children’s book with more to come!

    Texas really has been such a blessing for my family and me. God has given us so many opportunities to see His goodness in our lives while also being stretched and molded to look more like Him. Our time here has been rich in so many ways, and the friendships we have formed throughout our years living here have been so precious that it’s hard to think about saying goodbye. Nonetheless, as we spend a few more seasons here, I want to remember that the good gifts that God has bestowed upon my family and me are not limited to this place. If He could make a place where I had no desire to live to become a blessing to me, then how much more could He do that wherever He may lead!

    As my family and I begin to prepare for what comes next, I pray we’ll keep that in mind, being expectant of the future but also living well in this moment and in all the extravagant gifts God continues to give us in our sweet home Texas.

  • Spreading the Light

    Photo by Gantas Vaiu010diulu0117nas on Pexels.com of a handheld lamp lit by a candle

    I had another post ready to share today, but it doesn’t seem appropriate in light of Charlie Kirk’s passing.

    Like many people in this nation, my heart has been heavy as I contemplate the life and legacy that Charlie Kirk left. I didn’t follow him closely, but I caught videos of him from time to time and was always so impressed with his composure in hostile environments and his ability to answer with such intelligence and respect for individuals that were often times belligerent towards him.

    America lost a powerful voice yesterday when Charlie’s life was taken from him. However, in many ways, it didn’t. Charlie posted video upon video of his views and beliefs, and in light of his passing, many are curious to listen to what he had to say. He was a light for Jesus while here on earth, but now the message that he shared about Jesus and the gospel will spread like wildfire through the sharing of his videos online, all thanks to the intense focus that his assassination has brought to his life.

    One person thought to put an end to Charlie’s life yesterday, and he did. He killed his body, but he didn’t kill his soul. However, I truly believe that God has intended to bring eternal life to many through Charlie’s death because now many are willing to listen to the words of faith that Charlie often shared.

    I imagine Charlie weeping tears of joy at heaven’s gates at some point as he fully understands the impact that not only his life had here on earth, but that God has allowed his death to have as well. I hope that his wife can take comfort in that idea, and I pray that others (me included) are emboldened to share about Jesus like Charlie did, whether through his videos on social media or through their own testimony. Now is the time.

    Finally, we mourn his death, but we do not grieve as those without hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). For those of us who have put our faith in Jesus Christ, we will see him again! In the meantime, let’s pray for his family, and let’s pray for and seek out opportunities to share with the lost so that, like Charlie, they too, can truly live.

    Death is swallowed up in victory.
    O death, where is your victory?
        O death, where is your sting?”

    1 Corinthians 15:54b-55

  • My First Children’s Book Is Available for Purchase!

    Picture of the cover of The Instrument Maker and the Mandolin

    After a year and nearly five months, I’m pleased to announce that my first children’s book is now available for purchase!

    If you are curious to the back story of this book, you can read about it here: The Story Behind the Story – Colleen James Publishing. Otherwise, I’ll leave you with the blurb to my book and links where it can be purchased. Thank you so much for those of you who have supported me in this endeavor. I am so grateful to God for you all and for how He has been drawing me further into my purpose in my writing through your encouraging words. For those of you who purchase this book, I pray that it encourages you and reminds you that God has a wonderful purpose for your life. Without further ado, here are the blurb and purchasing links!

    Book blurb:

    Links to the Book:

    In my opinion, the best option for purchase is the soft cover found on Amazon due to the quality of its pictures. If durability is not an issue, I highly recommend this option. Go to the “Buy on Amazon” link below and be sure to select soft cover to buy it there, or simply search for it under The Instrument Maker and the Mandolin, by Colleen James.

    The hard cover can be purchased on websites like Amazon or Barnes and Noble online. Otherwise, you can go directly to the distributor’s website below. Although the quality is not as superb as the Amazon soft cover, this is a good option for those with little children that are concerned about the book’s durability.

    Buy Now

    If you prefer to buy outside of Amazon and also prefer paperback, then this is the option for you! Go to the link below to purchase.

    Buy Now

    Thank you again for your prayers, support, and words of encouragement. It means a lot to me to have you all on this new adventure with me!

    The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”

    Psalm 138:8

  • Not Without You

    Some of Liam’s paintings
    Four of Liam’s paintings, the top two looking like the continent of Africa and a monkey. Bottom left: a colorful, lopsided target. Bottom right: a tree on a purple background

    I had been talking about hanging up his paintings for several weeks. We had an open space for his artwork in the dining room, and I painted a picture for him of what that area could be. Life seemed much too busy, however, to actually find the time to turn this vision into a reality. But then one morning, with a surge of energy and a fresh sense of motivation, I gathered his masterpieces while he was away at school and got to work on making his own art gallery. Then I stood back and admired such a display—rich purples, greens, blues, pinks, and reds splattered over canvases expanding across three walls. Surely Liam would be surprised and delighted by the finished result. I could barely wait for him to get home. When he did, however, his reaction was nothing close to what I had imagined. He immediately wanted the paintings to be taken down.

    I felt completely deflated as I tried to determine a way to convince him otherwise, yet he remained firm on his desire for them to be removed, and since they were his paintings, I felt compelled to comply. Fortunately, he soon considered that I might keep his paintings up if I hung up some of my own, too.

    It was a sweet gesture, although nearly impossible as I had not been doing much artwork as of late. Nonethless, I pulled out the one piece of art that I could claim as my own, and that seemed to appease him for the time being, so the remaining canvases stayed on the walls. Today, the walls get fuller as he continues to paint, making this place feel more like a home. I’m glad I had a painting of my own to hang on the wall that day, because that was all it took to come to where we are today. He just needed me to be a part of what he was doing. He didn’t want all the attention or to do it alone.

    The interaction I had with my son that day reminded me of a conversation that Moses had with the Lord shortly after the Israelites made the golden calf. Understandably, God was angry with the Israelites for their idolatry and told Moses that He would not go up with him or the Israelites to Canaan ‘lest [He] consume [them] on the way” (Exodus 33:3). He would send an angel before them and defeat their enemies so they could live in the Promised Land. Nonetheless, He would not go with them.

    Several verses later, however, as Moses is talking to God, he makes this request of Him:

     If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”

    Exodus 33:15-16 ESV

    Although Moses could have had the Promised Land and the fame and success that would have come in safely bringing God’s people to this land, he didn’t want any of it without God’s presence itself. None of it mattered if God wasn’t in it.

    Fortunately for Moses, God responded to him as follows:

    This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.”

    Exodus 33:17b ESV

    Lately, I’ve been standing outside the entrance of my own “Promised Land” in some ways. I’m close to seeing a dream come true of releasing my first published work—a children’s book. I have had to continue to delay its release, however, due to errors in formatting. As I continue to address those issues and work toward having a perfect printed copy in hardback and soft cover, I find myself needing to be more like Moses and my son. The truth is, no success, fame, gain, or any other thing matters if God is not in it. Those are all just temporal things that will fade away after we are gone. But if God is with us and at work within us, the things He can accomplish through us will have a lasting effect for all eternity.

    Maybe all of these delays have been necessary so that I can realign my heart with His and remind myself that this book is for His glory and His pleasure, regardless of the external results. After all, the Promised Land doesn’t look so promising when devoid of the One who keeps all His promises. Let’s not forget that this life is ultimately about knowing and loving and glorifying Him above all else.

  • To the New Mama

    Photo by Kailash Kumar on Pexels.com of a shepherd in a pasture with his sheep

    To the New Mama

    Go on up to a high mountain,
        O Zion, herald of good news;
    lift up your voice with strength,
        O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
        lift it up, fear not;
    say to the cities of Judah,
        “Behold your God!”
    10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
        and his arm rules for him;
    behold, his reward is with him,
        and his recompense before him.
    11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
        he will gather the lambs in his arms;
    he will carry them in his bosom,
        and gently lead those that are with young”

    Isaiah 40:9-11 ESV

    We read the passage above in Sunday school yesterday, and that last verse transported me back to a time when my firstborn was a newborn and I was learning how to be a mom. I have tender memories of those moments now, but the learning curve of motherhood was a steep mountain to climb, and those first few cold, wintry nights with a newborn seemed interminable to me.

    It was during that time that I truly understood the phrase “to drag oneself out of bed.” I would hear my baby crying in the wee hours of the morning, and it took all the strength and sheer determination I could muster to drag myself out of bed. Throughout the first month or so with little Liam, I prayed for God to make each day a little easier for me. Then, in the months to follow, I begged Him to cause Liam to sleep through the night so that I could get some much-needed sleep!

    I hope I’m not painting too bleak of a picture here—especially for the women who have yet to become moms. I loved my baby boy so deeply. He was so cute and sweet and precious, and he would continue to win my heart over and over again in the months to come as he learned how to smile and then started to coo and then crawl and walk and everything in between. Nonetheless, I quickly learned that motherhood, especially at this stage, was exhausting, and I sure didn’t have the energy I thought I should for it!

    It was somewhere around the time that Liam was born that I stumbled upon the last verse mentioned above, and in my sleep-deprived, foggy brain, I was immensely encouraged that God would gently lead those with young. The truth is, I needed that leading so much. I felt vulnerable and completely incapable of making simple decisions on my own. So, to know that God was tenderly leading me and looking out for my young family and me brought a lot of comfort to my heart back then. I wasn’t alone in this new journey of motherhood. God’s eyes were upon me, gently guiding me and protecting my family and me along the way.

    When I think back to when I first became a mom, it encourages me to share this verse with any woman who may be experiencing the same things as I did. As lonely as motherhood might seem (especially in those initial days), God has not abandoned us in it. As huge of a responsibility that it is, we can cast all our cares on Him, because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

    Sleep my not come for a good while in those early days (It sure didn’t for me with my youngest more recently!), and we may suffer the effects that exhaustion often brings. Still, God’s outpouring of love and compassion will still be there. His eyes will still be upon us in each joy and sorrow. And He will tenderly guide us like a good and loving shepherd, because He is the one who gave His own life for His sheep.

    “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

    John 10:11 ESV

  • The Story Behind the Story

    I posted a six-part video series in September regarding a children’s book I hope to publish this spring. I’ve been a little less active on this blog due to focusing on that story and the general busyness of life as of late, but I wanted to share what I did on social media since I have grown fond of this blogging community and consider quite a few of you dear friends. If you would rather watch the video series, you can find it on Instagram at colleenjamesgetspublished. Otherwise, please enjoy this written rendition of how God has brought me to this point.

    Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com of a computer keyboard, coffee, and a pen and journal

     I’m no longer writing the book. As I drank a coffee at a quaint little café across from my brother and sister-in-law over a year ago, my sister-in-law told me how she and my brother had been praying about writing the book themselves. Furthermore, after a series of recent events, they believed God was calling them to do just that.

    I had been writing about the spiritual lessons that my family and I had learned while my brother was sick in 2011 for over three years now, so it was really disappointing to hear those words at first. However, writing that book had been so painstaking and a much slower process than it ever should have been, so I could only imagine the huge sense of relief I would feel at some point to be freed of this responsibility. 

    Days passed by, and although that relief never washed over me, I did feel lighter. Lighter and free to dream again. But before committing myself to working on another big writing project, I decided to pray about what God would have me work on next. I didn’t want to rush ahead of Him on this. 

    After around a week of praying, I was washing dishes when a children’s story idea came to me with very few details for me to flesh out on my own. I was equally surprised and delighted by the idea and could only attribute the plot to God. I somehow failed to realize that this was God’s answer to my prayer, however. The truth is, I wanted to do something more “important” with my writing. Something the likes of a novel or non-fiction, and I kept waiting for Him to show me which of these ideas to pursue. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the momentary “distraction” of this story idea in the meantime as I tried to figure out the two details that needed to be determined for it. What hardships would the main character face? And, since she was to be a personified instrument in this tale, which one would she be?

    About a week later, my son was watching a show while I cleaned the kitchen, and as soon as the cartoon featured a girl with her mandolin, I instinctively knew that this was the instrument that my main character had to be. Choosing some hardships for her (the personified mandolin) became easy after that. Still, the fleshed-out story idea remained in the notes section of my phone for three more months because I was still waiting for God to answer my prayer.

    By January, I was starting to accept the fact that perhaps God didn’t intend for me to get published. Maybe I was supposed to just stick with blogging. But then I watched a movie in a rare moment of free time, and as I soon realized that the life and legacy of Beatrix Potter (the author of the Peter Rabbit books) was unfolding before my eyes, I sensed God’s plan for my writing unfolding for me, too.

    With the plot still in the notes section of my phone and a newfound confidence that I was supposed to be writing children’s books, I began to work feverishly on the story, sensing God’s favor that week as my baby napped better than ever.

    The day after my birthday, the first draft was complete, and I saw God’s favor in the timing of this story, too, thanks to a letter I had written to myself a year prior to be opened on this particular birthday.

    Within the letter, I simply stated that “God knows the timing, and He makes no mistake. Just like each note belongs where it does in a symphony, each God-ordained moment of your life belongs where it does, too.” 

    The idea of each note in a symphony resonated with me deeply, considering the story that I was writing was about music. I had written about an instrument maker, the mandolin he made, and the purpose she (the mandolin) eventually found as an instrument in his hands. 

    If you’ve read some of my past blogposts, you already know how much I’ve struggled with God’s timing throughout my own life. Reading those words, however, was such a succinct reminder that I was doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing in this season. I could trust God on the timing of this book and this publishing journey, which has been so important to remember in these past months.

    There is still so much to do, and I don’t expect to be ready to publish this story until March 2025 at the earliest, but I’m so thankful for the gift of this story and for how God has been guiding me and providing for this story thus far. Ephesians 3:20 comes to mind as I think of all God has been doing in my life as of late, and all I can say is that I’m just so thankful that His dreams for us are bigger than anything we could have imagined. In the meantime, I’ll keep you all updated as the exact publishing date draws near!

    Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

    Ephesians 3:20-21

  • Lessons from a Soccer Field

    Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com of a soccer ball in a soccer field

    The coach was no nonsense as he strode onto the field, promptly beginning a warm up and practice drills. I didn’t blame him for his all-business attitude. He was without his usual two assistants that day, and given the fact that he was coaching a group of six-year-old boys, he had his work cut out for him. They had already proven to the three men what a challenge they would be in the few weeks they had practiced together. Many times, they would form a stampede around the ball, stumbling over each other in their over eagerness to kick it despite the fact that the coaches kept telling them to spread out and work as a team. That, or they would abandon the game altogether for some other distraction, such as when one of the boys caught a cricket, eliciting the excitement of his teammates and their desire to catch their own. The coach and assistants would often find themselves calling out the names of the boys two or three times before getting their attention at any given moment. It’s not that they were disobedient for the most part. They were just acting their age. With the coach alone this time, however, some of the teammates wanted to test his limits.

    That particular evening, as the dragonflies hovered over the field, their translucent wings shimmering in the soon-to-be-setting sun, I watched the coach lead his young team on a jog as punishment for the bad behavior of a couple boys. Then, when one same teammate continued to misbehave, he decided that only that boy would jog the field as he jogged ahead of him to forge the path they would run.

    I intently watched as the two began to jog, skirting along the edge of a scrimmage a more advanced soccer team was holding. It didn’t seem fair that the coach should have to take on the punishment of his player. At the age of these children, however, there wasn’t any other option but to run ahead. The players needed his instruction and guidance. They needed someone to lead them so they knew where to go.

    That evening, I realized what a western view of discipline I must have. When I discipline Liam, it generally involves a trip alone to his room. Even CJ, as he is entering the toddler years, has been placed in his crib for disobeying. And perhaps, as I discipline my children a certain way, I have had some wrong ideas in my subconscious as to how God disciplines me. The coach shed a new light on God’s discipline for me that evening, however. Much like this man led the boy through his own punishment, God leads us in His discipline of us. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. He walks us through it like a loving Father, forging the path we must take and then guiding us through it. He is always with us, showing His love and goodness to us even then,

    “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
        and chastises every son whom he receives.”

    Hebrews 12:6

  • Beauty in the Midst of Wild Things

    The garden outside the library

    I was instantly enthralled with the garden outside our local library the first time I saw it over two years ago. With varying shades of green and vibrant pops of yellow, orange, and red flowers mixed throughout it, my oldest son and I soon found ourselves walking along one of the dirt-packed pathways, where we watched butterflies flutter by and saw lizards scurrying about as they looked for a place to hide.

    Our short journey took us further into the garden and to a wooden bench where we rested for a short while under the covering of shrubs and trees. That day, the garden felt magical to me, as if there were secrets within to discover and behold. Although I have not spent much time in that garden since then due to the often-insufferable Texas heat, my children and I still generally take the garden path that leads to the library whenever we go. And we still see the butterflies and pops of color as the lizards scurry below.

    As winter gave way to spring this year, I noticed how much the garden had been neglected during one library visit. Weeds covered the walkways, and the shrubs were overgrown into a tangled mess. It was sad to see what had become of it. We didn’t take the garden path that time. We couldn’t with everything so overgrown. With my oldest son busy with school and my own busyness after having begun a part-time job later that spring, we didn’t make it to the library much after that. We’ve been to the library a few times this summer, however, and the most recent time we went, I noticed that the garden looked less unkempt this time. Someone had trimmed back the plants a bit, and although the weeds were still running wild, there weren’t as many. The garden was starting to get the care it needed.

    Although I do not know if the garden will ever be restored to its former glory, I see the beauty of it in this stage—in the midst of wild things. The trees and shrubs are still vibrant alongside the pops of color from the flowers. And the butterflies are still enjoying this garden along with the lizards that find shelter under the shrubs. There is beauty in the life that is teeming within this place. The wildness and weeds haven’t taken away from that. But I also see the beauty of this place because I know what this garden once was and what it could once again be. It has a lot of potential. With the right care, this garden could become a place of solace once again with areas to explore and secrets to unfold.

    When I think about the garden in this way, I recognize how good it would do me to view people like this, especially the ones that are rough around the edges—the wild ones.

    We all have inherent value and beauty because we were created in God’s image. But how much potential we all have to become even more lovely when we surrender to our Maker and allow Him to prune and weed us, planting seeds in us that will ultimately cause us to look more like Him!

    I want the garden at our local library to represent that to me. I want to see people through the lens in which God sees them. And, in recognizing their potential, particularly for the ones that are a little harder to love naturally, I want to find myself showing greater compassion and kindness to them. To see their value and realize what a treasure they are to God. Because ultimately, we are all gardens in progress. So, let’s express God’s love to each other, asking Him to help us to further surrender to the work of His hands as He tends to the garden that is our lives.

    He has made everything beautiful in its time.”

    Ecclesiastes 3:11a

  • A Season For Butterflies

    Photo from two summers ago of a butterfly on my fingers

    The butterflies are back this summer, fluttering about in seemingly directionless circles, although that must not be entirely true since they somehow move southward come fall. Two years ago, they showed up right after the Robb elementary tragedy, filling the sky and fluttering around town all summer long and even after the new school year started. At the time, a store-front displayed a banner of twenty-one butterflies with the names of each victim underneath them, so seeing the real-life butterflies everywhere brought a sense of comfort to my heart as our town grieved. It was a reminder to me that God was ever present in our community. He had not turned a blind eye on us.

    I grew to appreciate butterflies much more that summer and all that they represented to me, but my admiration of them stemmed long before that. I came to love them as a woman in my late twenties when I started going to counseling for the first time.

    I had spiraled into a state of severe loneliness and a fear of rejection within a matter of months, and I knew that the lies I had been believing were affecting me. Ironically, however, I was afraid to let them go. Up until then, I had been choosing the comfort of their familiarity, but God was calling me to faith. As He drew me back to counseling every week and invited me to lay down the lies through reading His Word and in prayer, He gave me hope of what life could eventually be. I was left with the image of a cocoon in my mind’s eye, and just as the caterpillar-turned-butterfly has to wrestle against the cocoon to strengthen its wings and finally break free, I felt God encouraging me to continue to wrestle against the lies I believed until I, too, could break free. It was the only way that I could live the life God intended for me, soaring on wings of faith as I more clearly viewed myself as God saw me.

    Today, as I look at butterflies, I feel this sense of hope rising within me. They represent new life to me. They represent the resilience to overcome struggles from within. But, most importantly, they represent a rising out of the darkness to what God has ultimately called them to be.

    As they fill the skies this season, I pray that we, as believers, would choose to live life outside of the cocoon. May we strengthen our own wings as we fight against the lies that are so intensely penetrating our world today. And as we wrestle, may we catch a vision of the wondrous transformation that God is creating within us. He is making us new. He is making us into the image of His Son. And He is giving us wings of hope so that we can soar to new heights with Him.

    Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

    2 Corinthians 5:17

  • In Season

    I’ll eventually put another plant in the pot, but for now, the fake flower will do! 😀 Picture of three plants and a fake, purple flower.

    For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.

    Ecclesiastes 3:1 ESV

    My tulip bulbs didn’t bloom again. It’s not too surprising, however, since I didn’t do any research to know when and how to plant them. I simply stuck them in a pot of dirt on our patio when Liam and I were planting seeds over a month ago. Then I watered them and hoped for the best.

    Now, weeks later, the rest of the plants have sprouted and are really starting to thrive, but the bulbs remain a potted patch of dirt. Come to think of it, I vaguely recall reading about planting them in the fall when I was originally researching how to take care of the bulbs after their first blossoms. Apparently, timing really does make a difference. Timing and the right kind of care, in this case.

    Being greeted by that barren plot of dirt each day as I water the rest of the patio plants has made me consider the importance of planting in season. This is certainly true for gardening, of course, but I can’t help but think it applies to so much more than that, too.

    Lately, JJ and I have been talking about some dreams that we would like to pursue in the near future. God seems to have planted certain desires in our hearts,  and those longings only appear to grow as we ask God to mold our hearts to His.

    Nonetheless, it is not quite the right season to plant in the physical world the desires that have been planted in our hearts, so we hold onto these hopes like seeds, watching and waiting for God to direct us to when planting season is here.

    Thinking about the dried-out bulbs is the encouragement I’ve needed these days to trust God when I grow weary of this watching and waiting. JJ and I could try to force things to conform to our desires now, but we know it would be foolish. Much like the tulip bulbs, our efforts would render little result if we didn’t let God determine the right season. Our labor would be in vain of God wasn’t in it (Psalm 127:1).

    Knowing that the good gifts God wants to give us will flourish in the right, God-ordained season brings me a sense of stillness, and as we wait on Him to receive these God-given dreams, I can rest assured that He is preparing the soil and climate of our lives to entrust us with those good gifts in due time. He is the Master Gardener; He does not plant a seed simply for the soil to remain barren. So, as I stare at this “patch of dirt” in my own life, seeds of hopes and dreams in hand, I’ll keep looking to Him and trusting that He will show both JJ and me when to plant. And I’ll trust that, in due time, we’ll have a beautiful garden by God’s help because we waited on Him for the right season.

    Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

    Psalm 27:14 ESV