Finding Beauty in the Growing

Is a flower beautiful before it blooms?

Or is its only beauty found in the blooming?

Is there worth in the flower for its future potential to bloom?

Recently, I went to a Sunflower Farm, it was spectacular and went for as far as my eyes could see. The sun beat down upon my skin and it made me feel like a real country girl. I should have worn a plaid shirt and my cowboy boots. : )

While there I searched everywhere for the perfect sunflower, the interesting thing was many of the sunflowers were in different stages. Some just beginning to bloom, some at full bloom, some already dying, and others not showing any signs of blooming yet.

The thought occurred to me is one more beautiful than the other? Is its beauty only defined by the stage it is now? Is its journey in growing into a sunflower beautiful too?

Is this true of me? Is this true of us on our journey through life? Are we only useful when we are at full bloom? Or is there beauty in the growing journey.

My father once told me that we must always be growing because if we are not, then we are dead. Everything that is living is growing and we must do the same.

We are always changing, growing, for the good or the bad. And are we beautiful in the process?

After looking at all the different stages of the sunflowers, I came to a conclusion, I say YES. A loud, bold, strong, yes. We are beautiful in all the stages even if it is not our highest potential of beauty, we are still beautiful.

When I am in a season of growing and being stretched, I do not feel beautiful. I feel like a mess. A big, blubbering mess. Progress and growing is always a challenge but in the midst of it all it is beautiful.

Embrace the mess you are in and even though you are not in full bloom, do not despise where you are right now.

You will get there. The growing is good. And the stage you are in right now is shaping you.

Therefore, you will be ready when it is your time to bloom.

All the different stages in a row. Does not each one possess its own unique beauty?

Hopefully this encouraged you today. Go out there and embrace the stage of growing you are in now. Embrace your mess, embrace the beauty of the growing.