Editor's note: Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy this devotion written by Ruth Chou Simons, author of the beautiful book The Way of the Wildflower.
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Vibrant Colorado wildflowers dotted the landscape only a few weeks ago, but now, their appearance is lackluster at best. The sun is still bright overhead, but there’s a crispness in the air that tells me a new season is on its way.
Every year, as I watch the wildflowers fade, I’m reminded of the lessons they still have to teach us. Autumn may be a prequel to winter, but if we live in the way of the wildflower, it’s not a season to be lamented.
By God’s grace, the wildflowers in bloom remind us what it looks like to be dependent, free, resilient, unhurried, and beloved. But do you know what happens as they go dormant? Roots that were strengthened by spring and summer winds remain protected in the soil and wait for moisture from the gentle covering of winter snow. Just under the surface, invisible work is preparing the wildflowers for a new season of growth that is yet to come.
Wildflowers don’t protest their dormancy… they are patient, submitting to God’s plan in a long season of waiting. What if we, too, received our waiting seasons with patience? With thanksgiving for the invisible work that’s preparing us for a new season of growth?
I’m no stranger to striving during the not-yet seasons of life, but when I pause to “consider the wildflowers” (Luke 12:27 NIV) I’m reminded that the rhythm of God’s ways — including dormancy — is a gift.
I’m convinced that thankfulness is what carries us through the long, dormant seasons we’ll experience in life.
Thankfulness is what helps us cultivate a posture of patience as we submit to all the Master Gardener is cultivating.
Though it isn’t always comfortable, the inner work He’s completing in our hearts is preparing us for new seasons of growth:
- When He calls us to rest, just as we’re reaching full bloom
- When He says, “Slow down,” just as we’re building momentum
- When He covers our talents with a gentle blanket of protection
God’s work in our lives is always for our good.
“If waiting is this fruitful, we can’t afford not to be patient — awake, faithful, and watchful for God’s plans and purposes with eager anticipation. After all, we know how the story ends, and we can be confident that nothing is wasted.” (The Way of the Wildflower, Meditation #22, “When You’re Still Waiting”)
You might feel lost, forlorn, and forgotten, but we know with certainty that God is faithful. As the psalmist said in Psalm 73:23-26,
Nevertheless, I am continually with You; You hold my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will receive me to glory. Whom have I in Heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. — ESV
So take a deep breath, and be patient, submitting to God’s plan while you wait. Miracles of life and growth are taking place just beneath the surface, and more is happening than you could ever think or imagine.
If thankfulness is what helps us cultivate a posture of patience as we submit to all the Master Gardener is cultivating, then let’s press into rehearsing His faithfulness!
Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. — Ephesians 1:3 CSB
Did you catch that?
You’ve been given every spiritual blessing in Christ. Not one is missing. God has given you a beautiful bouquet of His blessings.
With this visual in mind, here are a few sentence prayer prompts to help you practice gratitude today.
- Thank You for permission to rest from ________ as You work in the hidden places of my heart.
- Thank You for covering my family with protection and peace, even when _________.
- Thank You for _________ because I know it will be worked out for my good and Your glory.
Take a moment to reflect: What have you learned through waiting seasons? How has God deepened your roots, strengthened you, or guided you in a season of dormancy?
Friend, regardless of where you are, or what type of season you’re in, will you join me in giving Him thanks for all of it today?
Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us — to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. — Ephesians 3:20-21 CSB
Written for Devotionals Daily by Ruth Chou Simons, author of The Way of the Wildflower.
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Your Turn
Happy Thanksgiving to all our American readers! Today is the perfect day to thank God for all His blessings… even in seasons of waiting. ~ Devotionals Daily
Learn more about Ruth’s latest book, The Way of the Wildflower, and connect with her at RuthChouSimons.com, where she shares her journey, through word and art, of God’s grace intersecting with daily life.