You Are Built to Last

Did you know that lilacs can live over one hundred years? From Inner Mongolia to your own backyard, these hardy shrubs need no pruning to flower. In fact, they’re happiest and healthiest when we leave them alone. Let them weather the winter storms untended. They’ll be okay. If a branch breaks off in a spring storm, they’ll repair just fine. When it comes to caring for your lilacs, less is more. Their wood is strong (some of the strongest there is, actually). They already have exactly what they need to survive. Yes, even to an amazingly old age.

The same goes for you and me, too. I know it may not feel like it most days, but God has designed you, too, for resilience. By his Spirit, he has given you everything you need for survival and flourishing. As you remain rooted in him, you can be the plant that does not wither. Even after all you’ve endured, you can produce beauty. You can be fruitful.

God continually offers us what we need. He empowers us to do what he has placed before us. That kind of flourishing isn’t a pipe dream but a reality he’s written into our very nature. If you’re unsure, stop to smell the flowers. As you drink in the lilac’s sweet fragrance, remember that your life will offer up the same beauty as God restores you to fullness through his love.

As you wait, sink your roots deep into God’s good soil. Remember always, you can do this. Like the lilac, God has made you to last.