The Flower

We moved into our house in March of 1992. Sami was not yet a year old, and could barely see out the front window when standing on her tip toes. Our yard was full of flowers - big flower beds everywhere, and along every side of the house. It was beautiful....and overwhelming. I couldn't keep up with it and keep up with everything else. So we tore out all of the beds and replaced most everything with grass. All around the house we dug down and put in black rock bordered by landscaping timbers - the red ones. It made a sidewalk all the way around - and we didn't have to mow next to the house, which was nice. The year after we made all of these changes a lone tulip pushed up through the black rock and bloomed. It was very pretty - and I thought "as soon as it is done blooming I will dig it up and transplant it." Spring turned into summer, and I totally forgot about that tulip. Until next year - and it bloomed again! And so on and so on. Now we are in 2011 and that tulip is now sprouting 4 blooms instead of one. The kids and I look for it every year - and none of us is planning on removing it any time soon. As I was pondering today during church about trials and what makes us move through them I thought of this tulip. When going through a trial I think about being in a black tunnel. I can't see light behind me, yet it is most familiar as that is where I came from. The urge to turn around and go back is strong. I can't see light ahead of me, and the fear of failure keeps me from wanting to move forward - even though I know the light is there - my Heavenly Father tells me it is and I so desperately want to believe it. When I take one step forward, and step with faith towards the light - opposite of where I have been - I grow. With each step the darkness becomes lighter....and finally I see peeks of light - until I burst through the dark rock into the beautiful day. Kind of like the tulip....and each year we grow more and learn more until we blossom into a bouquet.