seasons of change

i'm always amazed at this time of year. how fast things grow & bloom. it seems like one day i don't have anything in my yard and the next it's full, green, and blossoming. like the tree in our yard. i honestly remember the last time i looked at it, which wasn't long ago, and thought, jeez...this tree is so behind all my neighbors trees. what's wrong with it? others had beautiful green leaves and were even starting to show buds of little white flowers. then today, i was walking up my drive way and went to pick something up. as i rose i saw these big green leaves. at first i thought i was in the wrong yard cause it seemed out of place. they literally grew overnight (at least from my perspective). it all of a sudden had all these leaves! i sat there for a few seconds kinda confused. i guess i didn't realize how quickly something could change. when it seems from the outside there's nothing going on or maybe that it is a late bloomer, there can still be a lot going on inside. yes, this is a metaphor. it really did make me look at myself. it kinda gave me hope. things i feel are dragging on and on, seasons that never seem to end or produce anything positive! they all just remind me that stuff is definitely going on inside. god's refining, sifting, and molding me and when the time is right, i know i'm going to see a great harvest along with some really beautiful blooms. i hope they are bright, bold, and big for everyone to see cause i don't want to forget who i am or how i got there. i want others to be able to ask me about my story. it seems i've had so many seasons of dry, lifelessness, yet, all along, god was nourishing and pruning, preparing me for a time of harvest. i can look back and see this and it's the hope that drives me to endure. i hope it does for you too. so now when you see a freshly bloomed flower, tree, bush, or maybe when it's in it's beginning phases, you'll be reminded of your own life or the lives of others.