Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The Promise of Lilacs...

"I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for."
Jeremiah 29:11 (Message)




In March of last year I wrote a post called "Can I Trust You, God?" in which I told the story of my lilacs. It's the story of having to leave our home and my beloved little lilac tree and moving to another place, only to discover when spring came that this new house had five lilac trees in the back yard. It was a lesson God taught me about how much He loves me and how He knew not only where we would be living, but knew years in advance that I would need those lilac trees. It was a tremendous lesson in trust....a lesson I need to be reminded of often.

Now, nearly three years later, we find ourselves in need of another home, as the landlord is selling this one. This has stressed me out on more than one occasion lately. I have been reminding myself repeatedly that my security is not in the house I live in, but in God and His faithfulness. And yet, the insecurity that I feel in not knowing how long we can stay in this house, where we will be moving and if finances will be available when we need to move overwhelms me at times. 

Today was a rare sunny day in the Northwest. We have had an extremely cold and wet spring as of yet; but today the sun came out and I spent a little while out on the deck. As I sat there, I noticed the lilac trees were beginning to bud out. I could tell the purple blossoms and white blossoms were just beginning to appear and soon will be open and fragrant. It was kind of a bittersweet moment, because while I love these trees and can't wait for them to bloom, once again I will be leaving behind my lilac trees. 

As I stood there, I was reminded of what God had shown me on that spring day in 2009...I can trust Him. Just as He knew before what I would need and when I would need it, He is fully aware of what I need now. 

Tonight at prayer meeting, I gave it to Him again. I surrendered my need to know; my need to be in control; my need to solve the problem. He supplied my need before and gave me more than I asked or imagined by giving me five lilac trees to replace the one I had to leave behind. . I have no reason to doubt Him now. He has a plan....plans to take care of me and my family. 

Once again, when we let go, God can move.....Before I left the church tonight, someone approached me about a house. I don't know if this is the house God has in store for us, but Mark and I will meet with them, look at the house and see what happens. 

I wonder if this house has lilac trees?



1 comment:

Dana said...

I, too, love lilacs. They are vividly mixed in my mind with memories of my mother. In 1981 I moved from Illinois to California, away from my 74-year-old mother and two grown children. My mother passed away in 1987. Memories of lilacs both comfort me and torment me. I have not found lilacs in California. While God has used the Bible verse of Jeremiah 29:11 to both lead me and guide me, I have found no lilacs. I'm glad you are blessed by yours.