Sometimes … the roots must be bigger than the bloom

The blog wasn’t coming together. All the pieces were there but they weren’t in the right order.

Sitting in the building where Patrick had his life and journey celebrated. Sitting in the building where 25 people gave their life to Christ as we remembered him. Sitting in a building where I praised God during my son’s Celebration of Life. Sitting in that building as I remembered that special person who I got to baptize and as I remember a person who said, “When I saw your hands raised in praised, it took my breath away. How amazing you could do that in your son’s death.”

I did that.

I raised my hands as many mourned. I raise my hands still to this day. I say thank you to that tumor. Thank you cancer.

It is because of you tumor that I saw an unconditional love, I experienced unconditional love, and I gave unconditional love.

All because of Patrick’s unselfishness to accept the journey. Yes, I know he had talks with Jesus. I could see it in his eyes. I could hear it in his life. I could feel it in his smiles. I could sense it in his cuddles.

“Mama. Pick me up.” His last words. The last words I would ever hear come out of that sweet mouth. How he knew.

God is our source ~ not the church. The church has gotten us hooked on hope! Now, you may be asking, “That’s a good thing, right? Hooked on hope is good, right?”

Hope is a wonderful thing when it is built on the rock named Jesus. Yet, man keeps getting in the way.

What exactly do I mean? Miracles come in the No’s too. God will give you a “yes” inside that “no.” If we always got a yes … we would never learn. We learn so much in the No’s.

The church seems to have forgotten this. They focus on the yes so much, that we don’t know what to do in the no’s. What we are “taught” is that money isn’t the only blessing God gives. Blessings come in many ways. When we are obedient, we are blessed. When we tithe, we are blessed.

There is so much more. Life is not a series of yes’s. Christian shows such as The 700 Club focus on the big miracles. The yes’s. What about the No’s. There is so much to learn in the No’s. So much to be seen. So many miracles in the No’s. The Bible is full of stories of “waiting” and “no’s.”

One of the No’s we read about involves Jesus. He didn’t follow man. He followed God. And, in doing so, he suffered. He suffered greatly. Man said “No” to his release. Man said “No” to his love. Man continues to say “No” to his name, his power, his love, his freedom. God told Jesus “No” when Jesus asked if there was any other way. Luke 22:39-46

The only way was through Jesus.

Not the church. The church has us clinging to their hope. It ropes us in, and using “hope” they keep us there. Hope is a wonderful thing when it is built on a rock named “Jesus.” Yet, man gets in the way. Our focus must be different. We must root our faith, our hope, our choices in HIM. That is where our roots grow. And, in that our roots must be bigger than our blooms.

Jesus ministered through his pain. He had an undeniable spiritual maturity, even at a young age. With that maturity, comes the ability to see the miracles in the no’s.

Our roots grow when we raise our hands in praise during the No’s. No’s can create change; you can find a commonality with new people to minister, and it can build into a Yes!

Roots are a must for blooms to remain strong. It is easy to keep faith in the yes’s. It is building to keep it and grow your faith in the no’s.

We all still crave the yes. We all still get disappointed in the no. Be thankful for the answers. Look at how those in faith kept going. No doesn’t mean we have to suffer. No can protect us. Light is brightest in the darkest place.

Your roots must be deep, must be bigger in order to hold bigger blooms.

When we get a NO … that is time to be the brightest light. And, let that light shine. When you walk through a fire … anything is possible on the other side. What a perfect day to share this message.

Jesus walked through the fire. And, on the other side EVERYTHING is POSSIBLE! His roots were huge in his faith and his blooms, grow bigger each day, as we set our faith foundation in him.