Where Wild Blooms Grow

This is the story behind what inspired my blog name and I hope it inspires you!

Our first summer in the arctic wasn’t much like summer at all. At least not like summer as we knew it.  We kept holding out for that 70 degree day where we would throw on our shorts and tank tops, sip (guzzle!) iced coffee and spend the day in the sun.  Instead, we kept hearing words like “summer gloves”, “summer jacket”, “summer hat” and I’m like: “what about summer flip flops?!”. By about mid-July, when normally I would have consumed at least 10 jugs of Starbucks Iced Coffee (…if you know, you know!), I think we finally accepted the fact that a day at the playground would require fleece jackets and mittens. It was at this point that we began to embrace any day that was above 50 degrees where the sun might peak out and the wind wasn’t gale force (not even kidding).  On those days, we would get out and walk the island.  One thing that I noticed right away were the vast spread of wildflowers at every turn. 

Now, you have to realize we live in an area where the conditions are so harsh that even trees can’t survive. But these little wildflowers? They were literally everywhere! And I’m not talking about dandelions and daisies, although those grow here too; these were the most beautiful wildflowers I’ve ever seen. They were growing in every nook and rock crevice, along every rill and ridge and flanked every path. The details of each flower and the number of unique varieties really struck me. At every gaze we would see another flower patch that was completely different than the ones we just saw.  This would happen every time we walked and started to become a fun nature scavenger hunt for us. We really enjoyed studying the petals and observing the brilliant colors. The girls loved to pick and gather little bunches and I was handed many sweet bouquets from chubby little hands on those walks :). The stroller was constantly adorned with pretty blooms.

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As with many other things since our move, this made me pause and contemplate some things about our new life and our girls. Leaving home, family, friends and everything familiar was particularly hard.  While children are extremely resilient, I was very much aware of the impact such a life change could and would have on them. Not to mention, this was just coming off another move and a new baby just 6 months prior! It was just a lot of major changes for all of us in such a short time. But through the challenges and the hard days and even the tears we shared of missing loved ones (and, yes, our beloved kitties, too) what I observed is that, despite all of this, the girls were still thriving. And just like the wildflowers we observed on our summer walks that brought beauty to an otherwise stark landscape, my four little treasures were blooming before my very eyes and blessing me because of it. (And still are!)

On the days when I felt particularly shadowed by sadness, their little smiles and tight embraces reminded me that joy can be found in any circumstance if we just shift our focus. The God that waters the wilderness and brings growth in the desert is the same God that dwells in our hearts because of the redeeming love of His son, Jesus. He can cause growth and beautiful blooming in our lives despite (and often because of!) the seemingly impossible places we find ourselves. The storms blow in, the seas rage, and the winds seem endless. We know our God is in control, yet we wonder why He allows it to continue when He could simply speak and still it all. In a place where strong and mighty trees cannot survive, God can make the delicate flowers bloom and flourish even in the midst of the swirling, arctic storms. In a place where winter is dark and frigid and it’s hard to imagine that anything beautiful could ever emerge out of it, God is working deep underground. And He has this same power in our lives! During life’s unexpected storms, we can dig into His promises and strengthen our roots in Him and His word. We can take refuge in the shadow of His wings and find rest. Here, He will transform our lives and, in His time, make our hearts to reflect His beauty.

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So, when the time comes to look back on this chapter of our lives, I never want to forget these lessons. I never want to forget the mighty storms and the fierce winds. I never want to forget where God used our surroundings and His creation to teach me the wonder of His love and care. I never want to forget this little place where wild blooms grow.

“When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive. I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together, that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.” Isaiah 41:17-20