I have a wonderful story I want to share. It’s a parable about a canyon…
“At first there were no canyons but only the vast, open prairie. One day the Master of the prairie, walking across His great grasslands, asked the prairie, ‘Where are your flowers?’ The prairie responded, ‘Master, I have no flower seeds.’
The Master then spoke to the birds, and they brought seeds of every kind of flower, scattering them far and wide. Soon the prairie bloomed with crocuses, roses, yellow buttercups, wild sunflowers, and red lilies all summer long. When the Master saw the flowers He was pleased. But He failed to see His favorites and asked the prairie, ‘Where are the clematis, columbine, violets, wildflowers, ferns, and the flowering shrubs?’
“So once again He spoke to the birds, and again they brought all the seeds and spread them far and wide. But when the Master arrived, He still could not find the flowers He loved the most, and asked, ‘Where are my sweetest flowers?’ The prairie cried sorrowfully, ‘O Master, I cannot keep the flowers. The winds sweep fiercely across me, and the sun beats down upon my breast, and they simply wither up and blow away.”
“Then the Master spoke to the lightning, and with one swift bolt, the lightening split the prairie through its heart. The prairie reeled and groaned in agony and for many days bitterly complained about its dark, jagged, and gaping wound. But the river poured its water through the chasm, bringing rich, dark soil with it.
“Once again the birds brought seeds and scattered them in the canyon. After a long time the rough rocks were adorned with soft mosses and trailing vines, and all the secluded cliffs were draped with clematis and columbine. Giant elms raised their huge limbs high into the sunlight, while at their feet small cedars and balsam firs clustered together. Everywhere violets, anemones, and maidenhair ferns grew and bloomed, until the canyon became the Master’s favorite place for rest, peace, and joy.”
Isn’t that a beautiful story speaking of God’s restoration? What really spoke to me was it took A LONG TIME after the prairie was split by the lightening, to see the flowers and trees start to blossom and grow. I look back at this last decade of my life… of first groaning and licking my “wounds”, and now starting to see and realize the fruit that has come out of my tragedy. I’m talking about the fruit of the Spirit…
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control…” Galatians 5:22-23
Friends, some of these fruits will only grow in the canyon. Oh, I am not declaring I’ve made it…but I will, and I’m a lot closer than I used to be. So take heart—if you are in your canyon now…you will one day be able to see the fruit from the canyon.
***this awesome story was taken from Streams in the Desert, a devotional I highly recommend:)