He Turns Our Sorrows Into Joy

Do you need a little encouragement today? This is for you.

Two days ago a serious thunderstorm roared through Grace Acres with a vengeance. As we stood at the kitchen door, we could hear branches crackling as powerful winds bent and broke a few along its path. I never gave thought to my beautiful peony bush protected only by a sweet picket fence in the garden.

This was its most beautiful year ever with humongous buds full of promise and potential. Michael had staked it up for me one day when I wasn't home because the buds were so heavy, their weight pulling them toward the earth below. I thought the staking would insure the longest and most spectacular display of pink flowers this bush had ever seen.

I was busy when the buds began to open and barely noticed them from my car as I drove in and out of the driveway several times... that is, until the morning after the storm. The careful staking had not braced them against the fury of the winds and rain. They had not bowed down on their own but most were bent or broken, most touching the muddy soil with their exquisite beauty. My heart broke as I gazed with sorrow from afar.

Last night, with a slight mist of rain filling the air, I donned my rubber boots and headed for the garden on a rescue mission... to seek and save what had been lost... if at all possible. As I lifted their heads, weighted down with water and mud, I was filled with hope that not all was lost. I gathered up more than twenty stems laden with blossoms and buds and brought them into the house. After spraying the mud from their petals, my sorrow was turned to joy to discover that none were lost but instead I was able to fill two large vases with beautiful bouquets... one to love and enjoy... the other to give away.

God used this experience, as He often does, to remind me of the beauty and blessings He promises to us. Oftentimes the fury of the winds and rain of this world leave us broken and bent over with great heaviness and sorrow. Our eyes become downcast, our heads... our minds become muddied with thoughts of despair, depression, or discontentment and we lose hope as we are not able to lift ourselves up and out of the pit we're in. But there is hope... there is always hope as we call out to our Savior God. When we put our hope back in Him, as the Lover of our souls and the Master Gardener of our hearts and lives, He reaches down from heaven and gently, lovingly lifts up our heads, washes us with His Holy Spirit and Truth, and He carefully places us in a vase with other broken people... church bouquets... for our own blessing and to be given away... giving ourselves to the world who needs to see what great things God has done for us... in His love and for His glory!

Thanks for letting me share this with you... it truly ministered to my heart and I hope it has for you as well.

God says...
I will turn their mourning into gladness;
I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.

Jeremiah 31:13

Thank You Father for being the Lifter of our heads... for turning our mourning into gladness... and our sorrow into joy... the joy of knowing, loving and trusting You. And thank You for using my broken peonies to paint such a beautiful picture for us to see. Amen.

Comments

[Sharon]

A wonderful story Karla, and a good reminder of His always loving care.
Blessings! Sharon

[Deborah]

Karla,

Thank you for sharing your peony story. I was so touched. My home is surrounded by a commercial peony and gladiolus farm. Your story reminded me of a line from THE COLOR PURPLE. "I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.” Sometimes we are so busy tending to details that we don't appreciate the beauty around us.

We are loved.
Deborah

[Lorie]

Oh Karla,
This just touched my spirit in such a mighty way. It just reminds me of how God can use broken things to bring joy to others even in it's brokeness. Your Peonies are beautiful and just like you went out in the rain with your boots to rescue them, The Lord does the same for us, no matter what condition surrounds us he will go out of his way to rescue us from the storms of life. Thank you this very encouraging post. I'm having a giveaway as well to celebrate my two year blogoversary and have a friendship award at the end of the giveaway post for my sistah's.

Hugz Lorie

[Julie]

Dear Karla,
Thank you so much for sharing your lovely flowers with us. when life brings on storms, there is much sadness and pain. All we can do is to trust the Lord to bring beauty where the storm has destroyed it's beauty. I am so glad you were able to enjoy your flowers in your home, and to share with another person. How lovely the fragrance that filled your home. Just think, how Heaven must smell.
Thank you for sharing.
Julie

[Barbara McFarland]

Dear Karla,

What a warm and touching reminder of how God loves and cares for us when the winds of life blow and try to destroy the beauty of our lives. I am so glad you were ministered to and now have ministered to so many of us.
God brings beauty from ashes and strong winds.

Thank you for your great caring heart,
Barbara

[Trish]

What a beautiful story! Isn't it wonderful how God teaches us new things through something as simple as a pretty flower...It's so true,how Creation declares the glory of God! Thank you for sharing these blessed thoughts with us.
xoxo
~Trish

[doda]

Beautiful thought. Amen!

[CarolMcGiffin]

Just five minutes before reading your beautiful peony story I had read a post on my daughter's page that broke my heart. As I've shared before with you, my daughter lives a life against God's will. Then I pulled up your post. Just last week I had run off information on peonies in hopes of growing some in my yard. I had decided that I loved peonies and it was time to try and grow them! So God used this new love for peonies and your words to bring tears to my eyes as I turned over my daughter's life to Him once again ... the only one who can perform miracles. It's been years of heartbreak, which I may never overcome, but I know the one who is able to do all things
and believe that He "will turn my mourning into gladness." Thank you for a beautiful post!

[Sue Gray]

oh how wonderful and i can almost smell their sweet fragrance right now!they are one of my very favorite flowers of all time - sort of like you being a favorite friend - blessings for now and forever - sue

[Storm]

Thanks for the reminder that God is always there even if we don't "see" Him.

[Becky]

Oh Karla, I am so excited to have stumbled onto your blog! I found it in someone's sidebar, and couldn't believe my eyes! I LOVE your books! You are so very talented, and your books really minister to me! I lend them and read them over and over!

This story of your peonies is precious. What a poignant reminder of God's tender care for His own. The flowers are beautiful indeed!!

May God make His face to shine upon you, Karla! I thank Him for you and the lives, mine included, that have been blessed by the way you share His love and truths.

Have a joyful Thursday!
HUGS,
Becky

[Candy]

Lovely post :)