A Zinnia Story
I started out strong with my zinnias.
I was watering them, loving on them, checking on them and even feeding them—probably a little too much if we're being honest. 😂 I was excited about watching them grow and seeing all of the beautiful colors begin to bloom.
And then life happened.
The heat came. Then the rain. Then the wind. Then distractions. Life became busy, and somewhere along the way, something I had been so intentional about caring for got pushed further and further into the background.
Before I knew it, my beautiful zinnias looked tired.
Some were scorched. Some flowers had lost their petals. Some stems weren't looking very promising at all.
And standing there looking at them, I realized how easily the same thing can happen in our lives.
Sometimes we start something with so much excitement. A dream. A relationship with God. A health journey. A business. A ministry assignment. Our home. A creative project. Even simply taking care of ourselves.
We begin with intention.
And then life happens.
Responsibilities increase. Seasons change. Something unexpected demands our attention. We become tired. Distracted. Overwhelmed. And suddenly, something we once cared deeply about doesn't look the way it used to.
But here's what my zinnias reminded me:
Neglected doesn't necessarily mean dead.
I decided to give them a fresh start.
I cut away what was dead. I watered the soil. I cleaned the pot. I pruned them back—probably a little aggressively because I'm still learning. 😂
But then something beautiful happened.
The flowers I had cut weren't wasted.
I gathered them together and created this sweet little bouquet.
And suddenly I realized that the cutting wasn't simply about what I was losing.
The cutting was producing something too.
Sometimes we don't need to quit.
We just need to start again.
Pruning Isn't the End
Jesus says in John 15:2:
“Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
Pruning can look harsh when you're staring at what has been removed.
But God sees what can grow afterward.
Sometimes He allows us to recognize what isn't working anymore. Sometimes priorities have to change. Sometimes habits need to be released. Sometimes we simply have to acknowledge, I've neglected this.
And acknowledging that doesn't require shame.
It creates an opportunity to begin again.
God doesn't ask us to pretend the neglect never happened.
He invites us back.
Back to prayer.
Back to the dream.
Back to caring for ourselves.
Back to creating.
Back to tending our homes.
Back to the assignment.
Back to Him.
Lamentations 3:22–23 reminds us:
“Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed... His mercies are new every morning.”
Every morning.
Not only when we get everything right.
Not only when we've been perfectly consistent.
Every morning carries another invitation to begin again.
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The R.Y.C. Reflection
REAL — What Have You Neglected?
Be honest without condemning yourself. What area of your life once received your attention but has slowly been pushed to the side?
Maybe it's your relationship with God. Your health. Your creativity. Your home. A dream. A friendship. Your finances. Or simply you.
YIELDING — What Needs to Be Pruned?
Ask God what may need to be removed, rearranged or released so something healthier can grow.
Not everything needs to come with you into your next season.
Sometimes pruning isn't punishment.
It's preparation for purpose.
CHOSEN — What Can You Begin Again?
Choose one thing.
Water the soil.
Clean the pot.
Cut away what's dead.
Take one small step toward tending what matters again.
Zechariah 4:10 reminds us not to despise small beginnings. You don't have to restore everything today. You simply have to be willing to begin.
My zinnias taught me something I didn't expect to learn from a flowerpot:
Something can look neglected and still have life in it.
Something can be cut back and still bloom again.
And even what gets cut away can become something beautiful.
So maybe there's an area of your life that looks a little like my zinnias did.
Tired.
Overlooked.
Not quite what you imagined.
Don't count it out yet.
You can get up. You can start again. And beauty can still come from what felt forgotten.
Because sometimes pruning isn't the end of the story.
It's where the new beginning starts. 🌸
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