I’ve never been much of a gardener or plant person. It’s just not something I was ever interested in doing or pursuing. And after my wife died and I had to be the sole caretaker of our children, the idea of nurturing something else didn’t appeal to me. So when I bought home two poinsettias from a church fundraiser I didn’t know what to expect. 

I thought to myself, “I’m in way over my head.” I started watering them every couple of days and really paying attention to them by making sure they had light, feeding them and turning them in the sunlight that comes through the kitchen window.

When the leaves started turning yellow and falling off and the stems were getting brown, I decided to cut some of the dead growth off them. Something happened to me while doing that. It was like a whole new way to grieve, to get out of myself, to do something good and positive for the world.

Then a few days later it happened. There was new growth on all the plants! It was unbelievable! “Oh!” I thought. I can’t believe this! New growth came and grew and grew and grew. Today, these plants are thriving.

Now when I go through challenges I try to remember that it’s like God is pruning me. He knows my struggle is great. He knows that it will challenge me to my core. But he also knows that it makes room for new growth and new life. And it has.
 

The current mortgage crisis and faltering economy can have a great effect on our outlook. Today I challenge you to find what’s good in your struggles and learn from them. The greatest lessons come in the valley’s of our lives.

I know you can do it and I definitely believe in you!