Hope and Faith will Find a Way

The hosta survived despite my lack of care.

Around ten years ago, we decided to do a little landscaping in our backyard, nothing too over the top. We just decide to create a pathway and line it with rocks and hosta. There was a lot of shade back there, so we figured hosta would do well. We ordered assorted bulbs from online and planted them as directed.

I was delighted when they sprouted the first time. I would drag hoses down to keep them watered and they flourished. When the winter came, they died back, but the next spring, when I was carefully raking leaves, they were back, just tiny little sprouts peaking through. I was thrilled. They grew fast and got bigger and they added some greenery to the backyard. They grew so large that we were able to divide them and plant more.

For a few years, we had that same cycle. The fresh shoots were a little signal that spring was on the way. But,then something unfortunate happened. A deer jumped the fence and ate all of the hosta to the ground. I was really bummed, but hoped that they would recover the following year. They didn’t.

We decide to give up and counted the hosta a loss. In fact, we didn’t try to do anything productive in the backyard for many years. But, this past spring, we were stuck at home for months in quarantine and decided to put in a backyard goldfish pond. We put in some different plants to add greenery around it.

Recently, when I went to water an azalea we had planted, I was delighted to discover a remnant from that hosta we planted all of those years ago. Somehow, with no help from me, no water, no care, it found a way to survive and spring back forth. I marveled at its tenacity. I marveled at how life found a way in spite of what seemed to be impossible conditions.

Hope and faith can be like that.

Last Sunday, we attended a church service and they announced there would be communion. I was so happy to hear it. There’s something amazingly spiritually fulfilling about taking communion with other Christians and I’ve missed it since this pandemic has swept the world. I wondered how we could possibly have communion with social distancing, masks and not touching each other as an usher passed out ziploc bags. Inside each bag, was a tiny sealed cup of juice and when we carefully opened it up, a tiny wafer was sealed on top.

The Church found a way. I found myself once again amazed as I fought back tears.

These are dark days we are living in and we are weary. The news just never seems to get better, yet God is still at work, working all things for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. We know this is true because the Bible tells us so.

A small hosta sprout and a tiny communion cup reminded me. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do to.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂