Abundance

About 3 years ago, I went to hear Annie Downs speak at a women's event with my church.  She had recently released her book Looking for Lovely.  I was also at a turning point.  I was struggling with my job, and seeing God's abundance or any abundance at the time was next to impossible.  Annie was a great speaker, and I remember really enjoying the night, but I don't remember anything she said, except for one verse.  She referenced Psalm 126:5-6.  The idea of the verse is that the one who sows in tears will come back with arms full of blessings.  Being in what felt like a season of tears, that verse was very appealing.  I marked it in my Bible and have referenced it quite a few times since in times of abundance and times in the desert.
This past weekend I was in my yard near where I have my Rose of Sharons planted scouting and measuring the space for a gardening endeavor I am about to undertake.  As I was looking at the space and imagining, I was also looking at the steep hill behind this space that desperately needs to be weeded and cleared.  As I was looking, I noticed a plant blooming in the mess.  Out of curiosity, I waded down through there to see what it was.  It was a Rose of Sharon.  One tiny little plant.  One pure white bloom.  It was lovely, and I was filled with surprise and joy.  I knew it was a gift to me.  The first post I wrote for this blog talked about the Rose of Sharon and how much it has become a symbol of hope and God's goodness to me.  It was just another way He reminded me that He sees me, He loves me, and He is working in my story.
As with any good plant lover, I of course decided to dig it up and move it up the hill to be with the others.  As I prepared to start digging, I looked around, and to my surprise, I realized that I was surrounded by small Rose of Sharon plants.  A few hours and a lot of sweat later, I hiked back up the hill with my arms full of baby Rose of Sharons.  All of which have been potted until I can move them into their permanent home.  Final count on them is right at 40. That's right, 40 plants.  I also still have a few more to get.  I was stunned and giddy.  What was 1 bloom turned into 40 plants.  Talk about abundance.  Psalm 126 came to mind, and I laughed.  I literally had arms full of blessings.  I had done nothing for those plants.  They were a complete gift.
This weekend, I heard God whisper a few things to me.  He reminded me that while I had been so focused on waiting for that one plant to bloom, He had been quietly growing so much more in the background, so much more.  I just have to open my eyes to see it.  He also told me that I am like the plant growing among the weeds where it cannot see the sun, and He is the gardener, lovingly digging me up and moving me to a place where I can grow and bloom in the light, His light.  I don't know what this next season is going to hold, but I have a sense that there will be arms full of blessings.