I’ve heard the old adage since I was a child, “Things change. Get used to it.” I never realized how true that would be for my life as I married a man in the military and moved twenty five times, all along the east coast, from Florida to Maine and as far west as Arkansas. When I moved to Maine, I wasn’t ready for the tremendous change in the weather and in my attitude. I hated living there and did not mind telling anyone who would listen how much I hated the snow, the wind, the bitter cold and the icy roads. What a poor witness I was! Since all of these trials, God has dealt with my heart and is still working on me to be content even when the changes that come are not the ones that I would prefer. Today, He spoke clearly to me that although my location may change, God and His Word don’t change.
These are the roses in my front garden. Lovely, right? It won’t be long before the petals are scattered on the ground and all that will be left are green leaves. Then, the green leaves will wilt and all that will be left are the branches, waiting for the next season of blooms. Unlike the roses which have a short lifespan, God is eternal and so is His Word. And even more importantly, as a child of God who is planting His Word in my heart, I will live forever, too. Awesome to think about, isn’t it?
Nothing that we do for our own glory will stand forever, but God’s Word will endure forever. It is so important that we plant those seeds in our hearts. We may have an external condition that causes us frustration or pain or even anger sometimes. But we are called to rise above that and to use that seed that God has planted in our hearts to help others to rise above their circumstances and to live eternally with the Father. This is an awesome responsibility with which we have been tasked, but with the Holy Spirit living within us, we are up for it! None of us can go back and re-live the times in our lives when we were not good witnesses (like me in Maine). But we can go forward and live like we are a precious child of the King. We are free and will live with Him forevermore! We are an eternal blossom in the courtyard of the King of Kings! Blessings to all of you, my friends!
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 
So true, we can’t go back and change our pasts. All we have control over is the here and now and what we do from this moment on. I am certain most Christians have failed to be a good witness for Jesus at one time or another. I know I have. But, hopefully we learn from our mistakes, and we grow from them, and we move forward, not backward, and we allow the Lord to change us. And, that is what matters for eternity.
Thank you so much, Vickie, for this encouragement about rising above our circumstances and allowing the seeds that God plants in our hearts to grow so that we can be used of him in the lives of others.
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