“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28 NLT)
On a particularly gloomy day, I went out for a walk in the rain. On the way back into the house, I noticed a bud on my maple tree. It was bright red in color. The next day, I went in for a closer look and took a picture. When I zoomed in, the bud looked like a flowering cross.
I sent the image to a friend, expecting nothing more than an emoji in response. Instead, she replied: Ask God what He wants you to know special about Him from this work of art.
As I sat meditating on the image, here are a few thoughts that came to me:
Martyrdom is no longer considered honorable. Acceptance of suffering seems passive and submissive. And it makes no sense to yield to pain willingly.
The cross represents suffering, sacrificial love, and resurrection. There is potential for beauty and growth in adversity, but pain can blind us to this possibility.
The final transformation may look nothing like we expect or desire. The timing may be too far in the future to see any connection. God can bring good out of affliction, but the changes may go unnoticed.
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