One day upon arriving at my parents house, my dad took me outside to show me something extraordinary. He pointed up to the metal carport canopy. I had to shield my eyes from the scorching Arizona sun, and then I saw it! Growing in the metal rafter was a cactus. How could it grow in such a harsh climate? No soil, 120 degree heat beating down upon the metal, and no water, rain, or any other hint of moisture. How in the world did it thrive?
A few months later when I pulled into their driveway, I saw the most beautiful pink flowers blooming on that cactus. That cactus was not only growing in an inhospitable environment, it actually seemed to like it, and was thriving!!
I have seen in my own life, and in the life of other believers, the same similarities. Our environment is not ideal. We can be dealing with the demands of small children, or teenagers, or the loss of someone we love. Perhaps illness, a less than ideal job, stress in our relationships, or wounds from our past. But, there are many of us Christians who seem to bloom when our circumstances become the most harsh and severe.
Maybe it's because that's when our faith is in action. Maybe it's because when we get to the bottom of our own strength, we cry out to God, "help."
When I say some Christians thrive in hard times, I do not mean that we love the heartbreak. Although the bible does tell us in James 1:2-4 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith brings perseverance." In my own life, in times of difficulty, my heart actually breaks. It is in the breaking, and the small cracks, that I actually allow the people I love to see my wounds. Jesus is then able to fill those fissures with his love, his grace, and his strength. It is because of this breaking and filling with God's spirit, that I am made stronger. I actually begin to grow.
When I expose my heart to true pain, and embrace the depth of my brokenness, that is when the healing begins. I begin to thrive in inhospitable circumstances. In 1Peter 5:10 "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." This is where we bloom. This is how against all odds, in unsuspecting circumstances, we can bear fruit in an otherwise barren environment.
That cactus, growing against all odds, reminded me of the power Jesus has in our lives. There is nothing too big, no circumstances too difficult, that the cross is not big enough and powerful enough to cover. We simply need to fix our eyes on Jesus the pioneer and protector of faith.