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Inner Strength … Resilience

Part 3 of 3 What Can Dahlia and Japanese Knotweed Have in Common?

     Inner strength. Resilience. Besides them both being plants and created by God, a Dahlia and a Japanese Knotweed have these two traits in common. Their strength comes from a strong root system that grows over time, producing resilience in the face of storms.

     Jesus’ words in Luke 6 verses 46-49 speak to the importance of inner strength and resilience.  

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?  As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”    

      After learning about the Dahlia plant and experiencing the Japanese Knotweed, my perspective began to shift. In God’s providence, I knew he had allowed me on this discovery journey for a purpose. 

  • I was to see my own need to be as determined in my faith as this plant is, to survive. Instead of Japanese Knotweed being the proverbial thorn in my side, I started to see it as a strong representation of resilience. 
  • The Dahlia plant blooms more when it’s cut and is a symbol of inner strength. The pruning that it experiences gives its root system internal strength to not only survive, but also to thrive. 
  • Similarly, the Knotweed’s root system is strengthened every time it’s cut back, cut down, or dug up. 

I want to be that determined in my faith journey. 

     I still don’t like Japanese Knotweed and would prefer it to disappear from my neighborhood. However, I am choosing to view it in life-giving thoughts instead of the mentally challenging ones I initially gave way to. 

     Resilience in my faith is what God is working in me. This only comes through difficulties and trials. Having the spiritual wind knocked out of me through life’s disappointments isn’t joyous; however, it will make me stronger in my spiritual resolve. Being cut down, like with the death of my young adult son, wasn’t what I wanted in my life; and yet…I’ve noticed on the flip side of the challenges, my faith and determination is stronger. 

     Maybe an important point to accept is for a strong faith, we need a strong root base or foundation, and to have that, we will need to endure struggles, challenges, and trials.

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Inner Strength…Resilience

Inner Strength…Resilience 3 Part Post

PART 1 DAHLIA FLOWER-INNER STRENGTH

     Recently a friend said to me, “Amy, you like to research, you should look into the Dahlia flower.”

     She was told, in the growth process, a dahlia bud will begin to bloom and close up. Bloom fuller and close up. This cycle continues until it has fully blossomed. Hearing the description touched something in my heart. I have gone through seasons of feeling and knowing I’m growing closer to God. Then, out of nowhere it seems, I’m shot down and I close up. I can relate to the dahlia. Learning about it gave me hope. Going through these seasons of feeling closed up and defeated have left me asking myself, “Where did I go wrong? What did I do to get here?” 

     God spoke to my heart the day my friend told me about the dahlia, “My daughter, you ARE growing. This is PART of the process.”

     A glimmer of hope. I had to know more about this special creation of God called the dahlia. When I hear about something new that intrigues me, I dove in to learn all I could about it.

Dahlia details I found interesting, and how they relate to me.

     ~This flower symbolizes inner strength because of all it endures. 

     Recent life lessons have made me keenly aware of how my God-empowered endurance through the many traumas and difficult circumstances in my life have contributed to my inner strength. I have experienced seasons of obvious growth that have been met with opposition. At times, the opposition felt like an outright smash in the face. My emotional reserves seemed to be depleted and I would close up like the dahlia bud until more strength built up for me to open up fuller. Fully blossomed, I’m not…yet. 

     ~The more a dahlia is cut, the more it will bloom. When the plant is about a foot tall, pinching out three to four inches of the center branch will encourage bushier plants, increase stem count, and the stem length.

     Not long ago I was serving in what I thought was my dream role. I was learning and growing closer to God. Seemingly, out of nowhere I had to decide between that role and whatever was next for me. OUCH! This hurt and still does at times, however, I know that God allowed this pruning for me to be even more fruitful in the plan he has for me. Knowing that when God is doing this work he couldn’t be any closer to me than he is, brings me comfort. “I [Jesus] am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15:1-2 NIV)

     ~Removing the dead flowers will keep flowers blooming for months.

     God’s pruning away at the dead things in my life is leading me to be more alive than I’ve ever been. This is painful. Releasing those things to God can be difficult because they have been a part of me for so long. I have to trust that God knows best, he is THEE Master Gardener.

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