I love the word “flourish”, don’t you?
The word “flourish” is one of those words that conjures up feelings of hope, newness, and growth. I looked up the definition and the dictionary said this: “to grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as a result of a particularly favorable environment”.
Now, maybe it’s my love of gardening, but when I hear the word “flourish” and read this definition, my mind’s eye immediately sees a gorgeous pink peony blooming in the sunlight. Peonies are my very favorite flower. Can’t you just see them? With all their full, ruffled petals exploding from their tightly bound buds in the springtime? Their beauty is breathtaking and fragrance, intoxicating.
Dashed Mason Jar Dreams
A few years ago we moved into a home that, unbeknownst to me, had peonies in the very back corner by the fence. And when the warmer winds of spring began to bluster through, my heart filled with joy to see the familiar beginnings of peony stems and buds emerging from the mulch. My mind filled with dreams of full, heavy cut peony blooms in blue mason jar vases on our table. Watch out Pinterest! Leah’s got peonies and mason jars!
However, as the season continued, something unexpected happened. Instead of lush, heavy blooms clustered with vibrant petals, the blooms emerged thin, weak, and smelling less than fragrant. My heart wilted.
What is wrong with these peonies? I mourned. Are they supposed to look like this? Is this some variety of peony I’m just not aware of? I didn’t realize peonies could stink so much!
After some “digging” around on the internet, I discovered the problem rather quickly. The previous homeowner had good intentions of growing luscious, lovely peonies but had, unfortunately, not done their research. Not only were the peonies planted in a bad location, but they were crowded out by other plants, not getting enough sun, and had a myriad of other problems.
The Potential Was There
My daughter with a gorgeous, flourishing, light pink variety of peony
See, the potential for these flowers to flourish was there, bound tightly into the peony’s God-given DNA. But the truth was this pitiful plant’s environment in which it was placed was simply not favorable. The opportunity to flourish…to “grow and develop in a healthy and vigorous way” was simply lost.
Friends, I hope you can see the illustration I’m making here. We, like flowers, are packed tightly with the potential to flourish as well. God has placed in us gifts, talents, personalities, and experiences that can allow us to “grow and develop in a healthy and vigorous way”…that is, if we are in a “particularly favorable environment”.
And our daughters, as young women striving to discover who they are, are also packed with that potential to flourish. Our jobs, as women, as moms, as grandmothers, aunts, and friends, can help create that “favorable environment” for them in specific, intentional ways.
Too many girls struggle to thrive and flourish because their environmental factors keep them from doing so. It takes women stepping up to change that…to see the potential trapped deep within. It takes women helping make the environment favorable for physical, emotional, and spiritual growth.
But what does that look like?
How do we do it? What kinds of ways can we create a favorable environment for these precious girls that will help them flourish instead of wilt? Well, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, obviously. Not all flowers need “full sun” and daily watering. But the amount of sun and water varies depending on the plant. Likewise, there are certain conditions that need to be considered when helping girls flourish.
So I hope you’re willing to follow me on this devotional journey through what it means to help girls (and yourself) flourish to the glory of God! Our goal is never to flourish for self’s sake. After all, almost every bible verse about flowers refers to them withering, just a temporary beauty. But our flourishing should be for the honor of the Creator who made us (and there are PLENTY of verses about that!)
What will follow is a series of short devotionals that will introduce the factors in making a “favorable environment” for that special girl in your life to flourish, using God’s design of flowers as our guide. Whether the girl you know is 2 or 22, you’ll be sure to get some insight to help her, and maybe pick up a few helpful points for yourself. Stay tuned to our first one coming next week!
The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. Psalm 92:12-13
