In the above video, Simon Cowell is wrecked and made speechless.  This guy, who has a reputation of having a hard heart, to say the least, is overcome by real human emotions.

Have you ever had your opinion about a person radically change in one moment of seeing their true heart?  Whether I’ve judged a person as bad, or wrong, mean, despicable or worse; all of that goes away when my heart is touched by love.

When, in a moment, a person I have judged becomes a human being in my eyes, someone with a story, someone with real emotions, real pain, real heartache, all my clueless opinions lose their power.   Suddenly my spirit sees them with fresh eyes and longs to comfort, longs to help, longs to hold.

Our eyes are open to see the tender heart in that child of God that they normally conceal behind the fig leaves.

In the New Year, let’s persevere in asking our Father to open the eyes of our heart and see people the way He sees them, so that we can love them the way He loves them.

I pray that we might see one another as family, that we would give each other tenderness, understanding, the benefit of the doubt and love.  In the New Year, let us love others the way we want to be loved.  Let’s love people the way Jesus loves us.

I wrote this 9 months ago, but felt, with some editing, it deserved a second look.  I hope you think so too:

In the little, 2 chapter, Book of Haggai, the Lord says to His people, “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?” (Hag 1:4) 17 years earlier, about a year after their return from Babylon, by order of the pagan King Cyrus of the Persians, the Jewish people had laid the foundation of the Temple and the first layer of the wall.

Cyrus was the most powerful king on the planet at the time. Isaiah had prophesied about Cyrus, by name, some 150 years before his birth. God had chosen Cyrus and set him in power to give the Jews financial and political support to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem.

The Jews had gone to Jerusalem with earnest intentions of rebuilding.  After their strong start, however, they were threatened and ridiculed by enemy nations.  They needed to survive in the harsh conditions .  They allowed these distractions to keep them from completing their tasks.

Even after they had established their homes and resources, it just never seemed like the right time to continue with their assignment. It was easy to keep adding to their own homes and their own lifestyles. They were living in luxury, but at the same time, they lived in fear of the enemy, and were subject to intimidation.

The same can be said of the Church in the West today. We live in the greatest level of wealth the world has ever seen, yet only about 10% of professing believers think it is important to put your money where your mouth is when it comes to God.  We live in fear of the opinions of our neighbors, our co-workers, the general public.

Though we have plenty of everything, we constantly seek more. Just like the Jews in Haggai’s time, we are unsatisfied and always searching for more food, more drink, more stimulation, more things to satisfy our spiritual hunger and thirst. We seek comfort in newer and ever greater cars, houses, TVs, electronics… stuff, but we don’t put God first or turn to God for our fulfillment. (Haggai 1:3-7) As a result we are fat, depressed, over-stimulated, in debt and starving for true nourishment. Just saying…

When the remnant of the Jewish people, now living under King Darius, heard the rebuke from the Lord through Haggai, they repented by agreeing together and getting to work. Immediately our good savior sent this message of encouragement, “I am with you, says the Lord!” (Haggai 1:13) So the people got to work rebuilding the Lord’s house. I love the Lord. He asks so little of us before He can’t resist encouraging us!

When they got to work, he sent His Spirit and gave the whole group enthusiasm for the work ahead of them. (Hag 1:14) We would say that REVIVAL had come to them.

Notice the order of events: They got to work in obedience, THEN revival came to them.

In the West, we never seem to find the right time to obey Jesus’ simple command to us to, “heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those who have leprosy and cast out demons.”(Matt 10:8 NLT)  We worry, “What if I pray for someone and they don’t get healed?” “Will people think I’m a religious nut?” “Will I make God look bad?”  We want to see the evidence that “it works” before we step out “in faith.” But the Lord sent His encouragement after the people got to work.

Back to Haggai, a few months later the Lord sent another message through the prophet, “Does anyone remember this house-the Temple-in its former splendor? How in comparison does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all!”

“But the Lord said, ‘Be Strong…and now get to work, for I am with you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. My Spirit remains among you just as I promised when you came out of Egypt, so do not be afraid’.” (Haggai 2:3-5) Remember, this was under the old covenant when the Holy Spirit came on people and also could go away. How much more can we be certain of the Lord’s support in the work He has assigned us when His Spirit lives inside  us and will NEVER leave us? “Be strong, my Spirit remains among you so don’t be afraid.”

This talk about the former glory of the Temple speaks to me of the state of the Church in the West today. Does anyone find inspiration from the Book of Acts? That, in my opinion, is the former glory of the church. When the church walked in humility and in power and changed the World.

What would the Church look like today, if we had kept our first love and continued fulfilling Jesus’ commandments? We should be walking in greater glory now than the first century church. Instead we look to that time of former glory as the good old days.

But we don’t need to look in our rear view mirror, because Jesus said, “if you have faith as small as a mustard seed…Nothing will be impossible for you.”(Matt 17:20 NIV) Indeed, today the Church in developing countries is moving in the love and the power of the Holy Spirit.

In many places around the world, believers regularly see blind eyes opened, missing limbs restored, people raised from the dead and former strangers to Jesus whose lives are transformed by knowing Him. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8 NIV)

The comparatively few believers in the first century church, with their great faith, were said to have “turned the world upside-down” with simple acts of love as demonstrated by Jesus. Now we number in the millions, but in the West the church is seen as a powerless anachronism or worse, a political persuasion. To the outside world, it does indeed seem like “nothing at all.” (Hag 2:3)

But we have good news! Like the people of Haggai and Nehemiah’s time, we can choose to change! We can repent and turn from the patterns of this world and be transformed by the renewing of our minds and by obedience to the things we have been called to do. The power of the gospel has not diminished, nor has the Holy Spirit within us lost His power.

Today, thanks to a new King Cyrus in the USA, President Trump, who is extremely supportive of the church, we too have a window of opportunity to repent and get to work. I pray we have eyes to see and understand the times we are living in. Imagine the potential impact we can have if the Church comes together now in answer to Jesus’ prayer for unity.  NOT for political reasons, but as the family of God.

The Work We Are Called to Do:  Jesus left us a few commands that in the West, we have largely ignored. Here are the most visible ones:

• Love:  ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  (Matt 22:36-40, AMP)

• Move Quickly When Others Need Help:  “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matt 7:12 NIV)

• Overlook Theological Differences in Favor of Unity:  “Teacher,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us,” (Mark 9:38-40 NIV)

• Walk in Your Authority:  “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give” (Matt 10:8 NIV).

• Be Ready:  “You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.” (Luke 12:40)

“ I will fill this place with glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. And in this place I will bring peace. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!” (Haggai 2:7-9)

This promise fills me with hope.  I am anticipating that our Temple, the Church ,will soon have wisdom, discipline and obedience to steward the gold and silver that comes in from the nations for Kingdom purposes.

But I think, as in history, it will come when we begin to walk in obedience to the Lord. Some things are trusted to the servants who steward well the little.

He said that He will bring peace to this place (the Temple/Church), but first He will fill it with glory! How will that be? I believe it will be after we begin walking in obedience.

Our obedience as earthen vessels makes way for the power and the glory of God to be revealed to the world. When we are obedient, He can do things through us that are so clearly beyond our own ability, that He is glorified.

Currently, in our Western lifestyles, daily spiritual opposition may not be an obvious threat of death, as it so often is in many places around the world. But opposition may come in the form of our fear of other people’s opinions.  It may come in worldly or even churchy distractions from our real assignment. Many times, warfare is as simple as believing the word of God and choosing to be obedient in the moment.

I don’t know about you, but when I see our Father face to face, I don’t want to regret the people I didn’t reach because I was embarrassed about what others would think of me.

I don’t want to remember the lame excuses and distractions I let come between me and obedience.

For believers, there is no punishment at the judgement, but I will not receive crowns of glory either.  Remember the crowns I receive are what I get to throw back at His feet to glorify Him.

That word “obedience” can sound boring or restrictive, but in truth it is our greatest freedom. Consider the freedom of letting the Father decide what I’m doing today, how, and when, and then doing as I’m told without responsibility or credit for the result. It is fulfilling and energizing.

That is what Jesus meant when he told His disciples, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” (John 4:32 NIV) Like good food, obedience is nourishing and energizing. He did what He saw his Father doing, and said what He heard His Father saying. Then he got to watch the Kingdom come to Earth. Fulfilled! Nourished! Victorious!

I pray this little Book of Haggai will serve as a rally cry to our family, the Church. God promises us in Haggai that if we get to work on the things He has assigned us, then He Himself will be our peace.

We have been sleeping in our luxurious houses for too long! It is time to rebuild the Lord’s house. It is time for the nations to see the people of the Lord demonstrating His love, His might, His power to the world around us and overcoming the work of the enemy.

In the New Year, may the Lord bless you with His peace. May you see the world being turned upside-down in the wake of His love everywhere you go. May you be nourished, and victorious, and fulfilled by the heavenly food of obedience. The coming glory of the Church will be greater than the former glory!  Revival begins with you.

Last night as I got off the phone after a conversation about preparing the way of the Lord, I heard, “It’s time to get rid of some more stones on the road.” So, when I woke up this morning, He said, “Come take a walk with me.” I have not walked and gone to my secret place with Him in over a week, not since encountering an intrusive runner. My secret place for the last month has taken the form of a stone table under a blossoming tree facing the sunrise near our home.

Last week, a male runner distracted my attention multiple times and invaded my space to the point I felt somewhat violated by his presence. I have never carried pepper spray, but after talking with my husband, we felt for the first time in my adult life, I should carry some in my pocket. So, I took my pepper spray and headed out the door. I immediately felt irritated, like something gnawing beneath my skin. I was mad, and I wanted to use strong words to express my displeasure, but I am supposed to be spending time with the Almighty, and had been pretty much dodging Him for a week. He had said the last time, He wanted to give me compassion for the abuser, and then this skinny, sweaty runner invades my space forcing me to come out armed. Papa nudged me, encouraging me to share how I felt with Him, so I did.

I quickly began to realize that not only had I been angry with this unknown man, but I was pretty miffed at God for revealing our secret place. I felt exposed by God.

When I say I saw a vision, I mean I see a picture in my head, and sometimes that image almost looks like an overlay on what I’m actually seeing. My feet continued to pad the ground toward my destination. There in front of me I see an image of Jesus on the ground. I heard Him say, “Take your anger out on me then. I can handle it.” He lay there completely vulnerable to my angry fists balled up. I thought of Him willingly being beaten for my sins, His precious flesh hanging like ribbons. I couldn’t do it, and found myself crying, “It wasn’t your fault.”

Realizing this is going much deeper than what happened last week, I began to let Him go deeper in my heart. Then He said, “Who’s to blame?” I could hear me shouting my name. The self accusations flew again, “I was not strong enough to stop evil. Something was wrong with me. I was to blame.” I saw an image of my mom slapping me across the face, which happened multiple times growing up. I saw myself as worthless, helpless, internalizing shame, that I was unfixable. I was bad. Now barely able to see thru my hot tears, and slightly embarrassed at my avalanche of emotions, I kept my face towards the ground.

Finally, I sat down at my rock table. Jesus said, “So this little girl, this is the one you blame”, and I saw myself about age three sitting across from me at the table. He then began to tell me how He sees this little one. Innocent, strong, blameless, one willing to lay down her life for others, pure, brave, loved, full of love, safe, and a safe person. I was undone.

Then He said, “So who’s to blame, those who hurt you?”, and I saw a line of little children. I decided it was best not to answer Him this time, nor did He give me a chance. I heard Him say, “I will hold them accountable for their choices, but did they start off as abusers, or were they abused, hurt little children themselves? Did they not believe lies told to them? You did not choose into becoming an abuser, even when you were forced to abuse, but even for those who did, I have compassion for them, for I see them as little, broken children.”

“So, who is to blame then? The evil forces of darkness, the spiritual forces, that lie and deceive my creation, that is where the blame lies. But I am far greater than even this. It’s time to let these old mind sets go. It’s a process I know.”

A process for sure. Layer after layer. Deeper and deeper still. His love is unrelenting sometimes. But I’ve learned that even if His touch causes pain in opening a wound, it’s always to bring healing.

“I want you to write the little girl sitting at the table a letter,” He whispered in my ear as the breeze gently blew the new, baby leaves of the tree above me. And so I did… A letter of healing, of forgiveness, of identity. A tear stained letter. I left my secret place that day a little lighter, a little freer.

“I don’t want you to get discouraged at this process of healing” I heard the Lord say.

You may often hear people liken our hearts, and inner healing, to an onion. There are layers to the process. While our hurt could be likened to the odor of an onion that is not very pleasant to think about.

But take the bloom of a rose instead. I would rather liken my heart to a beautiful rose.

The reason I think of the rose particularly is because it is completely enclosed, wrapped tightly with petals, but a beautiful bloom awaits to emerge. Our heart can be like this when we hide things away, put up walls and close off the world from reaching our heart.

As you begin to go through the internal healing process, you begin to open up just as the flower begins to open. Revealing the colors inside, the fragrance, shape and ultimately revealing the beautiful blossom that God created and intended it to be. Each petal is representing an emotion or wound, proving that God can take things that were hidden, dormant and distorted then turn it into something beautiful again.

It takes light, nourishment and water for that flower to blossom. As we too need to be nurtured and fed to bloom again! We must renew our minds and spirits daily by reading His word, abiding in His presence and walking in a worshipful lifestyle. This is so important to staying free once we receive our healing.

I like to use the rose as an example because it has thorns on it’s stem. When we think of thorns we think of something that could inflict pain or be a nuisance. Thorns actually help cultivate the environment where the rose bush grows. It’s a natural tiller of the soil. Thorns also help protect the beautiful bloom that awaits at the end of the stem.

When was the last time you just went and grabbed hold of a rose and picked it off? Probably never. You wouldn’t do that without the proper tool or gloves.  In nature thorns protect the bloom from predators and other pests. In the same way a thorn cultivates and protects the rose, so do the circumstances in our life, and so does our beautiful God cultivate and protect our heart. Many times I made the decision to “grab” the blossom in life without thinking I had to go through the thorns.

Our very own Lord Jesus wore a crown of thorns. The Roman soldiers thought they were humiliating Him by placing a measly crown of thorns on His head but instead they were just placing them on the beautiful rose He was. He is even called the Rose of Sharon. Ironic isn’t it.

Rose bushes can withstand some pretty rough storms. The rains may wash the petals off but the winds can seldom destroy the bush. I’d like to think of us as these beautiful blooms waiting to blossom. It is only when we allow Christ to be the gardener of our hearts, that we can become all that He has designed and intended us to be.

The Word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow.  It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. (Hebrews 4:12)

I love this verse!  Especially the part that says that the word of God is ALIVE and POWERFUL!  It does something good to my spirit when I read that!  Abundant life should be alive and powerful!  Right?

Today, the Holy Spirit drew my attention to the words “joint” and “marrow.”   So I looked up the meaning of the two greek words in Strong’s Concordance.  As usual, it was fascinating because what I found was unexpected but made perfect sense.

Now, clearly, I am not a theologian, but I do enjoy discovering word meanings when Holy Spirit makes me inquisitive about a verse.  So, for those who are interested, check out Strong’s G719 and it’s root, G716 for the word, “joint” and Strong’s G3452 for “marrow.”  For those who would never open Strong’s and do not have the app on their phone, let me just explain what I found.

The word for joint stems from the same root word as chariot.  Like a physical joint, it is an active word.  Specifically a “war chariot” armed with many scythes. The word for marrow means, not too surprisingly, “enclosed within.”

The writer of Hebrews tells us that the word of God is able to cut between joint and marrow.  

So, I’m interpreting that to mean that it cuts between (the joint), the active weaponry we wield to protect our hearts from pain,

and (the marrow), the innermost wound enclosed within.

Though we might try, in pride, to hide our wounded hearts, the word of God is able to seep in and take down our defenses and get past fig leaves to the innermost part of the matter.

I see that the word of God is able to lay open a wound, not to embarrass or expose, but so that it can be healed.  Through His living and powerful word, He points to the discord between our soul and spirit.  This place of discord is where wounds are formed and fester.

Although the soul of a believer has been made new, it is also being transformed, so fleshly habits sometimes arise here. Our thoughts, will, or emotions sometimes still agree with old habits.

The spirit of a believer, which has been renewed, agrees with Christ in me.  My spirit is alive to Christ and to the perspective of Heaven.

When the Holy Spirit exposes our wound, He speaks the truth of His word over it and His word brings light and life to those covert and dark places.   He shows us the separation between soul and spirit.

When we allow the Word of God to penetrate deeply within us, our hearts are being repaired and made new.   We are convicted of our wrong thinking, our strongholds.  From the point of my agreeing with God, repentance and healing begins.

Having just returned from a women’s ministry weekend in which I saw many wounded hearts healed, this interpretation was extremely clarifying to me.

Over the past few years, I have repeatedly seen the poor results of trying to protect our own hearts.  The wounded and self-reliant saint may be anesthesized to her pain, but she is also left without sensitivity to any other emotions.  A spiritual and emotional numbness characterizes a long-term case of self-protected heart.  Sometimes we call this depression,

As it is in the natural, it is in the spirit.  Just as it is vital to healthy living that a person be able to discern pain in their body, it is vital for a healthy soul to discern pain.  How else can the cause of the pain be addressed?

Many times the experiences that have wounded us, also make us reluctant to trust our hearts even to Jesus.  Here in Psalm 91:4 we see God’s Fatherly role: “With his feathers he will cover you, under his wings you will find safety. His truth is your shield and armor” (ISV)  His truth is supposed to guard your heart.  If we take up God’s job, we have entered into a subtle form of idolatry.  We are looking to ourselves for protection and covering, instead of to God’s truth.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. Psalm 28:10

When repentance comes and we decide to stop trying to be God and turn it back to our Father, tears of joy, tears of acceptance, tears of relief, tears of remembrance come.  He peals back the calloused shelter we have built and reveals the new heart that He has written His truth upon.

At an event like the one I just attended, this kind of healing may come through the ministry of other believers.  But I know, personally I have been healed of many wounds in my soul, by allowing the sharp, double-edged sword to cut between my joint and marrow.   To take down my self-erected defenses in favor of truth and love.

Trusting Him with my whole heart is rewarded.  Holy Spirit begins to show us how to live from a whole and healed heart that trusts in Him wholeheartedly.  From this place I am free to truly experience the abundant life Jesus paid for us to live.  From this place, it is easier to take my eyes off of me and truly care about you.

When I don’t self-protect, I can offer my whole heart to you recklessly, just like God offers His to me, knowing I can trust him to both protect me and, through His word, to lay open the wounds I receive to his surgical Truth and laser Light.

Yesterday was a day of cooking.  I’m preparing for a busy, pre-holiday weekend that has a ministry event right in the middle of several social events.  As I worked through the day, I was thinking of the many things we have to be thankful for this year.  The miracles that have occurred throughout our year and also the not-yet things that have been promised to us.  I was tired but full after a night of laughter, hosting some dear friends for a simple dinner last night.

This morning, when the phone alarm went off, seemingly way too early, but at the usual hour I picked it up to turn it off and it appeared to say 1:11 ALMOND across the front.  I blinked and looked again and saw the alarm properly set 5 a.m and not 1:11 and turned it off.  I mentioned it to my husband and he said, “I think what you saw is “ALARM.””

Still, I felt like Papa was getting my attention.  As the ALMOND word poked my groggy brain awake to the realization that the Lord had shown one of those prophet boys an almond branch.  It was either Ezekiel or Jeremiah.   I remember it because it is a neat picture of a prophet being trained by the Lord.

It was Jeremiah 1:11!  REALLY? No way!  Yes, really.

(Aside) Do yo see how easy it is to miss the Lord speaking to us? Papa God loves to coax us with the allure of hints, into the adventure of relationship with Him.  See Proverbs 25:2, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.”

Now I had not had my coffee yet, so it took me a bit to figure out what He was saying to me.  Initially when he said 1:11, I assumed He was taking back to Genesis 1:11, because He has been talking to me about 1:11 and the seed bearing plants and trees that produce fruit after their own kind all year.

Before I went to Genesis, I Googled Almond in the Bible.  Several things came up: In Gen 43:11, Jacob sent the boys back to Egypt with gifts to present to the Egyptian Ruler (Joseph) as a witness of his gratitude and personal wealth.  Almonds are included in the bounty.

In Gen 30:37, Jacob puts 3 kinds of peeled tree branches in the water for the livestock to look at and reproduce.  One of them was an almond branch.

In Numbers 17:8, Aaron’s rod sprouted in the tent of testimony, and produced buds, blossoms and almond fruit.  All of these have to do with witness.

In Jeremiah 1:12 the Lord affirms what Jeremiah has seen.  “And the Lord said, “That’s right and it means that I am watching and I will certainly carry out my plans.”   In other words, Wait and see, my words will be fulfilled!

After I realized that, I went back to Genesis 1:11, even though through the year I have come to know it quite well.  I noticed I had written a note in my bible next to the verse.  It said Jan 2017- that is when He first began sending me to that verse this year.  Month 1.  Now, here we are in November.  Month 11.  I laughed, then I cried. He is telling me that He is watching over His word, His plans, His promises to us and He will certainly carry them out! What a year! Wow!

Now you might say that we prophetic people get all caught up in details like numbers and symbols and words, but they are the language God uses to catch our attention.  They are the shiny attention getters to help us listen for the still small voice.

If you want to know the truth, they are the language of the Bible.  Symbols are everywhere in the Bible and give amazing depth to the words.  Words are chosen precisely and each name carries depths of meaning.  Numbers in the Bible also carry richness, far beyond what my mind can currently handle.

Psalm 91:4, a verse I recite often, is so true, “His faithful promises are my armor and protection!” They are what I hold onto no matter what life looks like in the moment.  I love that He reminded me today that He is watching over His promises and will carry them out for us!  Maybe I will plant an almond tree this year as a visual reminder.

I am so blessed to know Him and to His humor, His love notes and His faithfulness.

I encourage you to pull out the promises He has given you, even if they were long ago, and thank Him for their fulfillment.  I pray it makes for your happiest of Thanksgivings, this year and in the year of their fulfillment too.

Happy Thanksgiving!

He healed my heart through art.

Sitting at my art table staring at the blank canvas on my easel, I envisioned a single flower. Pink or maybe purple, I thought I would make it. Vibrant, tall and strong it would be with its face pointing upward toward the heavens. As I eyed the blank slate in front of me I pondered “what kind of flower should I make it?” So I searched butterflies and flowers, one of my favorite combinations. I seemed to have been in a season of painting butterflies too. At least the Lord was allowing me to see them in the natural and the spiritual so I painted them. I believe it was a sign of what he was really doing in me. A personal “metamorphosis” if you will.

I was in a season of transformation, spiritually and physically. I found an image of a butterfly on a gerbera daisy. The daisy was a beautiful shade of pink, with hints of purple. Very vibrant! I said to myself “that’s the one!”

So I poured the colors I would need for the painting onto my pallet and began creating the picture in my mind. I took a pencil to the 12×12 canvas and lightly sketched out where I wanted the flower to be. The painting began to take shape as my brush moved up and down creating the strong, straight stem. It was a luscious apple green color with highlights of where the light would hit it.

I moved onto the petals and moved my paintbrush back and forth, carefully placing the petals around the stem. Tracing them with my eyes, looking ahead to see where the next one would go. Placing the shadows underneath and the highlights on top, my brushed bounced around effortlessly. My flower, my vibrant, tall, strong flower had emerged. It had LIFE! At least in my eyes it did.

You see at that moment when that daisy emerged and came to life on that canvas I heard the Lord say “You are that flower and you have bloomed after the rain.” My heart fluttered and my spirit lit up. He was right! After all I had been through I was coming out victorious by the power of Christ. I had bloomed again but this time it was different. This time I was stronger, vibrant and standing tall. Just like the flower I created!

As I played worship music I began to paint the rest of my creation. I now saw it as a mirror image of the process I had gone through in the current year. Even though my story and struggle go back well over 15 years, the season I was in was fresh in my mind.

I had gone through two deaths in the family within 24 hours, I was depressed, my anxiety had reached an all time high and I was physically fatigued and in pain. Then the Lord so tenderly reminded of the word He had been giving me over and over again the last several months. He told me “Do not worry or be anxious, trust me I am doing a new thing” referencing the Isaiah 43:19 scripture. “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (NIV bible).

When I would find myself drifting into anxiety he would remind me of this promise. I could hear him so clearly every time! It would comfort my heart and bring peace immediately to my spirit.

I took my brush and painted the background, mixing colors and painting some sections with vibrant pigments and some softer in color. Once the background was in place the Holy Spirit guided me to make a section look like the glory of God and another like rain. So I took metallic gold paint and applied it to the left side of the painting to depict the glory of God, making long brilliant strokes.

It faded into the next section where I depicted the rain, which represented my broken spirit and my struggle. I took a bottle of paint and applied it to the top edge of the painting and I just let it drip down the canvas. Allowing it to run where it desired. The color of the rain was rich hues of a blue-green, like the depth of the ocean on a stormy day.

I proceeded to finish the painting around the flower. This is where the softer hues of color came in. Depicting the tender, compassionate, gentle spirit of the our Lord, I saw a pattern appearing as I painted down the canvas and through the petals. It looked like a spout of water running through it. It was the living water of the Lord flowing from above and as it washed through the petals and the Spirit gave it life. I saw it, like a little river flowing from above.

The brush of color was one continuous stream flowing down, in and through that flower. I knew at that moment this was a prophetic word from my Lord and he was releasing healing to my broken spirit and wounded heart. I could feel the healing and the joy emerge as I saw what was happening in front of my eyes. My hands were simply an extension of the Holy Spirit.

I finished the painting off by topping the center of the daisy with specks of metallic gold paint. Once again to depict the glory of God. The Lord had taken me through the storm and deposited his glory on me like a crown. My flower was standing tall and strong, vibrant with the glory of God adorning its crown. It was indeed facing toward heaven overflowing with joy. I couldn’t help but to weep upon the completion of this piece because I saw me. I had bloomed after the pain. I had bloomed “after the rain”. To this day this painting evokes so many emotions and feelings in me and in other people when they see it. I am mostly told how beautiful and inspiring it is. I am here to tell you it is possible to bloom again after the rain!