may flowers

"April showers bring May flowers." (I wonder if Noah said it first :)

"Some unpleasant occurrences bring about better things." (as quoted from the New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy explaining this saying)

I don't know that I like this saying anymore, April showers and May flowers. There is the implied notion that good flowers can only come as a result of bad showers. But logically, the good flower couldn't exist without the bad shower, and so the shower can't be bad at all. The shower is absolutely necessary for the beautiful flower to exist. And what more, how long does a flower last? What is the total preparation required for that moment of fleeting beauty? Many showers, sunshine, good dirt, no frost, an Elmer Fudd to shoot rascally rabbits, etc., etc., etc.... ... ... ... ... Hmm... ... ... ... ..."Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." Romans 5...

Someone said the other day, and I found much comfort in him saying this, "What if God's plan for life includes failure?" Look around in our society, in every area of our society, whether it be business, personal, or even spiritual, and ask, what is it that we lift up, and look up to? Clearly the answer is success. I was in Barnes and Noble the other day and in the religious section the cover of every book had the same person on it. Of course not literally, but why must they all be young (or old but youthful, you know, no wrinkles), handsome and beautiful, obviously chosen to represent something the book is trying to sell. And then read the cover. I wonder how many different "creative" ways we have written, "How to make your life better?" Are there marketing teams out there in a thinking box being paid to conjure up these things? I use the word conjure intentionally, driving towards the true motivator behind this wretched shift in Christian thought. Think about it, what has Christ's command of discipleship been reduced too? Self-help, self-preservation, self-glorification... When we realize this, what is our reaction? What would Jesus Himself have thought? We should be sick to our stomachs, tearing our clothes and dousing ourselves with ashes... Was Paul a failure in jail? Was Stephen's sermon that resulted in stoning a failure? Was John the Baptist's ministry a failure when he was beheaded? Are we not called to carry a cross and die? Was Jesus' death on the cross seen as a failure? Yes! But was it? NO! We must begin to seek out the mind of Christ, the will of God. The world and its influence has taken its toll on us, and we must return to the call of Christ. The real Christ, not a conjured Christ. Oh God, may it be so. May we seek you, know you, love you, and serve you, and all for your glory. By your grace...