He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree. Ezekiel 17:5 (KJV)
Though I didn’t know it at the time, God walked me through a series of some very painful circumstances in my 40 years of wandering in the desert; the 40 years before God came down and touched my heart, wooing me to become His. I became a Christian in 1993 when I was 41. My husband came to know Jesus as Savior the very same night when he was 63. We came into the Kingdom together…how beautiful is that?
As I mentioned earlier, I made some very poor decisions and had experienced divorce which left me feeling very much like I wanted to live the life of a hermit. Before I met my husband, my plan was to change my name, move to New England and live with my cats. My heart was stone cold (no pun intended).
I was not yet a Christian and I was bitter because my life had not turned out the way it was supposed to in my dreams. To me, relationships were not worth the pain. I had no relationships in my life that brought me joy…none!
When I met my husband, I was swept off my feet. He treated me as no one ever had. He brought me a dozen red roses on our 1st date! He made me feel special…loved…even though I put him to the test. Not deliberately, but just being cautious. After being married 3 years, God drew us both to Himself. He nurtured us and brought healing to me. We decided to renew our vows as Christians for our 5th anniversary.
Where there had once been cold hard soil, tiny sprouts of joy were beginning to push through the garden of my heart. Now, 22 years later, those sprouts have blossomed by the grace of God and I have found great joy. Though my husband is now in heaven, I know one day both Jesus and my husband will be preparing to greet me. I wonder if my husband will have red roses for me?
How has God helped you to bloom?
Amazing Grace Revealed 