Stay Rooted and Bloom

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~4 min read

Hi there. Welcome to Well Lit Soul, where we seek God, face darkness, and shine brighter. This season of the blog is all about encouragement. So, today’s blog is called: Stay Rooted and Bloom.

One of the reasons I’m thankful for scripture is that it offers so many examples of people dealing with the exact same things we wrestle with today. And even though our lifestyles, cultures, and societies may differ, we as people, more specifically souls, are the same. 

I was reminded of this when reading the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1. I would encourage you to read the whole chapter, but her story is about grief and how to lean on God and trust Him with your deepest cares. 

To summarize, Hannah’s grief came from the fact that she had no children and that her husband’s other wife, who had several children, provoked her severely because the Lord had closed her womb (verse 6). And even though her husband loved her greatly and gave her a double portion of an offering, the lack of children plus affliction from the other wife brought about great agony.

You can see her sorrow explicitly in verse 10 which says, “And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish.” and again in verses 15-16 when Hannah spoke to Eli the priest which reads,

15 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.

Not long after, Hannah became pregnant with a son whom she named Samuel who would be a righteous judge over the Isrealites. But before his life unfolded, Hannah cried out again to the Lord, but this time in praise at the end of chapter one and also in the first ten verses of chapter two. She opens her prayer of thanksgiving by saying in verse one, “My heart rejoices in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.”

Reading Hannah’s story made me so encouraged because I felt like I was cheering on someone competing in the faith Olympics. To feel the palpable agony and see the struggle she went through but she kept running the race. Hannah brought all of her pain directly to the Lord and called to Him repeatedly to bless her with a child. She trusted Him with her grief and He provided in ways she could have never imagined. 

It’s a beautiful reminder that in our own grief, we have to stay grounded in His truth. Because our feelings can pull us away from God. I learned first hand that my feelings are fallible and can mislead me. They are also temporary, so in the midst of the storms, I have to rely on what I know to be true without a shadow of a doubt. And with complete assuredness I know that God is faithful, He loves me even if I don’t feel it, and this too shall pass. And the same way He did for Hannah and so many others, God will provide for those who rely on Him. 

And being on the other side of the storm, I learned their purpose and value. One of the most helpful words of wisdom I was given was “if you pray for flowers, don’t be surprised when it rains”. And I was praying for a lot of flowers, so I got a lot of rain! But those flowers did bloom, but all in God’s time, not mine. And now, I can rejoice when the rain comes. Because it means God heard my prayers. And I’m thankful for the rain because it allows me to grow, bloom, and shine brightly. Which makes me think of James 1:2-4 which says,

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

So when the storms come, stay rooted, grounded and firm. Cast your cares and cry out to God in the process because He cares for you and hears you. And trust that He is in control and that His plan, timing, and ways are perfect. And if you begin to doubt, go back and see His power and promise in stories like Hannah. He is in control and is preparing you to bloom and shine. So keep your focus on today and let God focus on tomorrow. He knows better than we ever will.

Connection Question: What has your grief taught you about relying on God? How has it helped you to shine brighter?

Let me know in the comments, I’d love to connect with you about it.