Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Lock (03/06/06)
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TITLE: Petals of Hope | Previous Challenge Entry
By Katherine Mikshenas
03/07/06 -
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When I saw the topic for this week’s challenge I was a bit overwhelmed of what I would write. The word lock made me think about protection. What I needed to protect most was my own heart from penetrating negative thinking. I have always been an individual that prepared for the worst scenario of every situation that I encountered. I would invest numerous hours of worry and doubt and plan strategies to overcome these negative scenes that I would play out in my mind. I leaned on my own understanding. My image of God was that of a higher power than me but I questioned whether God was really on my side. I decided to come right out and ask God who He was and if He was on my side.
I did not receive an answer right away. I spent many hours in deep prayer and meditating on His word. One day my answer came in a way that really surprised me.
Last Summer I was out early one morning. The dog was playing in the front yard and I happened to glance over at the front of the house. I could not believe my eyes. The rose bush under the front window was in full bloom. This rose bush had been through rough seasons of snow, ice and a drenching wet spring. My husband had plowed into it a few times when he was plowing the driveway. The dog had chewed a couple of chunks off the top. I wondered how this poor rose bush could possibly have survived. I thought about the seasons I had encountered. I had recently moved away from my family and at times was very homesick. It was hard to find work and my worrying was at an ultimate high. I felt like the poor rose bush a little broken and worn out.
Like the rose bush God had held me in the palms of His hands and carried me through the rough winter and spring. He restored the worn out petals of the rose bush into new petals of brilliant fuchsia. If I placed my heart completely into God’s trust and hands He would restore my heart from the stones of loneliness and worry.
Each day I surrender my heart completely to God’s care. His word is my sword to lock out fear and negative thinking. God’s hands hold me in safety and nourish petals of hope deep within my heart.
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