Abide

This morning my garden looked beautiful – full of promise. Japanese irises, discovered at a community plant sale last spring, unfurled in a show of purple. I bought five clusters, but only two have rooted deeply enough to bloom this summer.

Roots: living things that must push hard in a dark place. Unseen and unappreciated, they give life to the whole plant. There are no blossoms without deep, healthy roots.

I’ve thought a lot about abiding and blooming recently. Jesus invites us to ab...