“Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign [that] shall not be cut off.” (Isaiah 55:13)

God created you beautiful.

God created you to bloom with kindness, to be myrtle-white pure of heart. God created you to love with the fragrance of patience and grace, to be hardy and loyal even when the road is rocky, and to wait for the promises of God.

If any of you have planted a garden or live by a field, you know that every landscape has both flower and thistle, thorny briar and sweet rose. Unless you raise your flowers in a greenhouse, they will be surrounded by diverse foliage, grass, weeds, and even some thistles. This is the reality of life.

And here’s another reali…