a lovely work in progress.

please say hello to my amaryllis. i believe it is one of the most beautiful flowers i have ever seen. i've been thinking about this lovely little plant quite a bit as of late. i think there are some strong parallels between this plant's life and my own.

i purchased the bulb & pot a few days before i moved to north carolina. after i settled in down south, i planted the little guy, knowing that it would be 6-10 weeks before i would see a bud. i have faithfully watered my little friend by the window ever since...and i have been amazed at how quickly it has grown...and how TALL it has become. to think...once a little bulb...and now a beautiful thing to behold, set on this earth by the Creator for us to enjoy.

so where are the similarities between this sprout and laura?

well...i think that i was like the bulb before i moved to north carolina...and if i am honest, probably a few weeks after i relocated. i was hiding...in need of some nurture...knowing i had great things to offer this campus and the others involved in this ministry...but i knew it would take a little while. i needed space to grow...in my time.

and now? i think i can say with a great deal of confidence that i have grown in the past 3 months...i have blossomed (to continue with this flower-laura comparison). i am comfortable showing my true colors. i am eager to keep growing, to stand tall. i am more than willing to use the gifts God has given me if it brings glory to Him.

all of this hit me this past thursday night at our weekly Large Group meeting (a time of worship, prayer and teaching for everyone in the ministry). watching 250+ people file into the Great Hall and receiving hugs, smiles and words of affirmation made me stand back and thank the Good Lord that He has called me here for such a time as this. i am starting to see the fruit of His labor through me. i see my purpose. i see why it took a little bit of time for me to grow beyond the bulb. i know i am far from done with this process...but i can own it now with a little more confidence and assurance that there is always something good on the other side.

it's a good place to be.