This past week

Just a little update about the past week.

First, just a few pictures from English class last week 🙂

Last week at English class, I felt like my world was spinning and I couldn’t find the ground. I continued through my day-to-day. Going to work, serving at church, serving at English class, participating in what the Lord provided. However, my inner thoughts and heart were all over the place. I wasn’t sifting through the good, bad and ugly that were swirling around in my mind.

I let some little hiccups derail my trust in what the Lord has for me and hit the PANIC button. And when I hit the panic button, I didn’t want to think about it, I chose to avoid. 

This led me to spilling random thoughts to my boss on Thursday, and then to a “how is life” chat with a few coworkers on Friday. When chatting about where I was, I realized the Lord had some exciting things ahead of me for the weekend. He wanted to spend time with me, alone and in the quiet. 

I had already planned to go to North Carolina to visit a few friends. And this was going to be a little vacation with the Lord, to reset my heart and get “back on the tracks.”

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Little did I know that the Lord would start reseting my heart and mind only 30 minutes into the drive up to North Carolina. 

A revelation that he taught me on my drive was that I have been viewing my future dreams through a window, instead of in a mirror. 

With a window, you look outside at the things that are there while your reality is stuck inside the building. However, when you look into a mirror, your reality is alive because you are what you see in the mirror. 

I never realized that I viewed my dreams (particularly of marriage and motherhood) through a window…an unattainable reality that I would not be worthy of. Instead, the Father revealed that I needed to view my dreams in a mirror. To see myself worthy and adorned as a bride, as a mom, and ________ fill in the blank with any other dreams I will dream up. 

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Wow. As I continued driving, I was shocked at this. I needed some fresh perspective because I have dreamed of these things since I was a little girl. And, I had the urge to go and try on wedding dresses to actually visualize myself in a dress in a real life mirror. (I didn’t, in case you wondered) But I sat with the Lord on this concept and realized that my dreams aren’t just dreams, they will be a reality one day. I can trust Him with my dreams, and that one day, I will see myself in a mirror with those dreams in real life–full and abundant. 

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Later in my drive, the Lord put a desire to go to Home Depot or Lowe’s to purchase a cactus or a new plant. And to rearrange my apartment room when I return to Georgia, specifically designed to have plants in my room by the window. 

So, when I arrived in Asheville, I went promptly to the store. I went to Lowe’s first. I found a white orchid on sale for $9. I just couldn’t pass it up. I know they are hard to grow. Hard to take care of. But I just wanted it, and so I got it. 

Then I went to Home Depot. I found a cactus, then another plant that was on sale (so I just had to have it too). I also finally found a succulent to add to my desk at work (see below). 

I hit a little bit of a plant overload 🙂 Oops!

Fast forward…

When I got home, I transplanted them and watered them, then sat with the Lord to journal about what he showed me. 

As I drew out the mirror/window concept and journaled about it, I realized that I wanted the orchid to be a physical representation of what the Lord showed me this weekend. To be a daily reminder, when I see it that I remember His faithfulness in my dreams.

I was continuing to journal when the Lord quickened to me that the orchid is more than the silly representation I first thought of. It has a greater meaning.

The plant has two stems: representing husband and wife.

But the plant also has one intertwined root system: the Father.

The orchid is also white: a bride and the color of purity.

The Lord is just so sweet, isn’t he?

I splurged to get the orchid because I wanted it…but God showed up and showed out. He just wrapped all of the teachings into a beautiful pot to remind me daily of His love for me and His abundant faithfulness in making dreams to reality!

 Here is my sweet orchid in my apartment, doing fine and well almost a week in 🙂 Also, I just had to put my little wood block that says “Let Hope Take Flight” with it, because it just makes sense, you know?

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Thanks for reading my update, and taking a glimpse into my heart. I pray that you are encouraged by the Lord today too. Even in the littlest of ways, and in the simplest of ways. He is a good Father who loves endlessly and abundantly. I pray you feel and experience His love in new depths today 🙂