Blooming in Adversity

"The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all." (Emperor of China, Disney's Mulan)

At the University of Missouri there is this tiny pond (if you can even call it a pond) with a small waterfall. Covering this body of water are lily pads. It's beautiful and serene, and I remember sitting by it's edge for a bit and noticing the blobs of pink amidst the dark waters and green leaves. The lily pad blooms were beautiful and few; however, despite the entire pond being covered in green lily pads, the small number of flowers were what caught my eye.

The first thought that came to my mind while taking in the beauty of the blooms was the quote from Disney's Mulan: "The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all." If you have ever seen Mulan (which you should have!), you can recall that she faced a lot of adversity. She had family problems, ruined her chances of being a proper lady, went against the rules and went to war to save her father, had to learn to look and act like a man, saved part of an army but was found out, came back to save China after she was abandoned. Yet the Emperor of China calls her the most rare and beautiful flower of all, due to her perseverance through trials.

I know I have faced trials, but God is helping me realize that they are for a reason or have truly made me a better person. Many say you have to go through a valley before you can stand on a mountain, or that storms come before rainbows. Yes, not getting that job, watching a family member go through cancer treatments, losing a loved one, or finding yourself going down a sinful path are not easy things but discouraging moments in life. However, I think adversity builds character and God uses our trials to make us more like Him.

When you go through trials, remember these truths and allow God to bring you peace and joy:

1. Adversity causes us to lean more on God, our Savior. (Psalm 9:9, Proverbs 3:5-6)

2. You will be able to endure through your trials (1 Corinthian 10:13)

3. God allows us to face adversity so he can stregnthen us (1 Peter 5:10)

4. He has a plan for your life, despite the current circumstances (Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28)

5. We are rewarded for our trials (James 1:12)

The more we trust in God and persevere through our trials, the more God will refine us to be rare and beautiful. If you have ever read the Calvin and Hobbs comics, you'll remember that Calvin's father always puts him to work or forces him to do some chore. Calvin always complains that it is against his will and choosing, to which his father simply shouts back, "It builds character". Although we don't always understand, at the time, why we are facing adversity, remember that God is using us for an even greater purpose to be even greater people. Do not be the flower that wilts when faced with adversity, but one that endures to be more rare and beautiful.

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