Those Ugly Brown Weeds and Spring Flowers

Ever since highway 62 in front of our home was widened to five lanes, the highway was raised several feet and the right of way along each side was seeded with various grasses and wild flowers, the "ditch" we use to have became a "canyon". Before that change, Husband was able to keep the ditch mowed, along with our almost three acres of lawn. Now, it's much too steep for him to try and mow. Thankfully, the highway department does mow once a year at least.

Last spring, the flowers along the right of way were beautiful; first the yellow ones popped up among the green grass. Next, the pink ones raised their heads and people would comment about how beautiful the roadway was. Slowly, the flowers begin to die and in their place grew a concoction of nasty, brown weeds. As summer faded into fall, those weeds grew higher and higher and dryer and dryer. Sadly, there was nothing we could do but look out our windows and lament about how we wished for the spring flowers rather than this mess. Now, we are anxiously waiting to see if those pink and yellow flowers will again raise their heads. As sure as they do, we know with the blazing sun and possible lack of rain, when fall gets here, the brown, ugly grass will again appear.
 

In life, there are those times when, like the flowers in spring, everything is beautiful. Then there are those times when everything looks bleak and brown and nasty. We look at those bad times and wish for the good. What we must realize is that God sees the good times in our lives and He sees the bad. And, He is working through all of those times to bring us to the place He wants us. The main thing we need to remember about God’s timing is that it is perfect. God's timing for those flowers was as perfect as His timing for the nasty weeds. His timing for our good moments and our bad moments are not a mystery to Him. Because He is in control of everything.

How do you handle the bleak times in your life?

"As for God, his way is perfect:
The Lord’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him." Psalm 18:30 NIV