Flourishing Is the Journey

We all have this idea of what thriving looks like, that stage in life when we feel as if we have finally “made it.” As if that one monumental thing or goal were the flourishing that everyone is talking about. What if our blooming into God’s purpose is not something that happens only once at the end of the race of life? What if the flourishing is found in the journey and not the destination?

You are blooming, and you are flourishing. Even if your flourishing looks different from those around you, God is working on the roots within you to better the bloom that is coming. You have to remember that comparing your flourishing to those around you simply distracts you from the work that God is doing within you today. If you always focus on the destination—whatever your idea of “making it” is—you may neglect the journey that God has intentionally set you on.

So, my friend, when you are in a season of feeling like you aren’t flourishing, ask God to water your soul and your mind. Seek out what God is trying to plant within you and how this season can inspire those around you as they witness how you surrender to God no matter the situation you’re in.

It is not always easy to find hope in a season of drought, and that’s okay. Always remember your hope is found in Jesus, and sometimes you must ask him to reveal what that hope is and how you can hold on to it. I promise you that there is a purpose to the waiting. The blooms that come from this time are going to be worth it.

Are you in a season of dry ground or flourishing blooms? Reflect on where God is laying a hand in that journey and hold on to the promise he has given you.

Dear Lord, thank you for being with me in every season. Help me to hold on to hope. Amen.

This plan contains devotions from My Painted Pieces: 40 Devotions to Nurture Your Mental Healthby Audrey Bailey.