Speak Life

My dad passed away over three years ago. Last summer a family friend brought me some offshoots of the peony bushes my dad had given him decades ago from our childhood home. I was deeply moved to receive something of my dad’s to have with me for years to come. 

I planted them on Father’s Day in the middle of a sweltering hot day and watered daily, but they quickly died. My research showed they don’t transplant easily and it should be done in the fall for best results. Well that was a failure waiting to happen. Every time I looked out the window, I saw dead black leaves. I didn’t have the heart to cut them off. They looked horrible and Sharon encouraged me to cut them down. I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I was sad, but I stood over them several times to pray and literally speak “Life!”. If my neighbors saw me, they would have thought I’d lost it. As we entered the Fall, I finally cut off the dead stems. All winter I wondered what spring would bring. 

This past Spring I saw neighbors’ peonies starting to shoot up, but found nothing in my yard. I went out several times each week hoping I would see something, but I was always disappointed. One morning I was surprised when I saw buds popping up from the winter ground! I was stunned and excited at the same time. I stood in my yard and cried. Here was life coming up from what appeared to be dead. Think about that—life came out of “dead” places. Don’t lose hope! When you think something is dead and gone, life can still spring up. Maybe it’s a dream. Maybe your marriage seems like it’s reached its end. Hold on! Speak life. Whatever you do, don’t give up. Winter is coming to an end.

Tim Spirk

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