The Soil that Flourishes

By Alicia Frick

         “Flourish.” I love that word. We have adopted the name for our blog, our upcoming ladies retreat, and even considered naming our ladies ministry by one simple word, “flourish.” I believe this word is so appealing.

It indicates thriving growth with the presence of joy and delight.

          “Flourish” always transports me to spring and hills covered in bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes. In Psalms 1 we are given a biblical picture of flourishing. The Psalmist writes:
“He [she] is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he [she] does prospers.”
          I know we all would like to be described as this tree, but the truth is usually quite different for me. I often feel overwhelmed, consumed, tired, unresponsive, and unproductive. The list could continue. I won’t bore you with the description, but can you relate?
          Dictionary.com defines flourish as “to grow luxuriantly or to thrive in growth.” Google adds “to grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way.” Sounds more like the weeds right now in my front yard than it does my current situation. Interestingly, the Google definition adds “especially as the thought of a particularly congenial (welcoming or hospitable) environment.” This world tells us flourishing is only possible in the right circumstances. To grow or thrive, to develop in a vigorous way, is only possible when our circumstances are favorable or when certain conditions are present.
          Ladies, I believe we often don’t flourish because we substitute the wisdom of this world for the truth of who we are in Christ.

We plant our roots in the soil of our circumstances instead of near the stream of “Living Water.”

We survey the environment of our circumstances and think “I can’t prosper here; it’s too painful. I just want out, or why is this happening to me?”
          Consider this verse in Isaiah “I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground.” Thirsty and dry ground certainly does not describe optimal growing soil, yet Isaiah continues “they will spring up like grass in a meadow like poplar tress by flowing streams” (Isaiah 44:3-4). Isaiah describes thriving, beautiful growth even in the harshness of desert terrain.
          I don’t know what your “desert” may be right now, but Jesus does. The Living Water waits to pour His life, His joy, His peace, His ability that we might flourish “as oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor” (Isaiah 61:3). Jesus’ teaches how to thrive in the face of extreme circumstances with the parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders.
          Perhaps you are familiar with the illustration. Two men built the same house, but on different foundations. Each home then faced the same fierce storm. The wise man’s house withstood the storm. The fool’s was destroyed, and “it fell with a great crash.” The wise man’s foundation was the rock “of hearing these words of Mine and putting them in to practice” (Matthew 7:24). Simply put, the wise man built on the foundation of obedience.
          I don’t mean a list of “to do’s” and not “to do’s.” I mean the same surrender of heart Jesus offers in the garden as He sweats blood and declares

“Yet, not my will but Your will be done” (Matthew 26:39).

          I want to grow my roots in obedience to His will and not blown over because I have so hoped in my own way. Obedience is the rich soil that allows us to flourish no matter our circumstances.
          Recently, I quietly watched a patient, young mom and her active daughter at a local playground. After several warnings she continued to disobey, earning a timeout. After several minutes of watching the other children play, she sweetly looked to her mom and said, “I am ready to obey now.”  I loved her honesty but at the same time conviction washed over me. 

Forgive me Jesus for the many times I have treated obedience as a choice instead of a lifetime pursuit. 

How many times have I missed the opportunity to “flourish on the playground” because I chose to disobey? 
          For me, I am having a transplanting party. I am getting out of the pot of my circumstances and my own desires and replanting my roots deep in the Living Water. I want to flourish at all times, not just when circumstances are favorable. I want to thrive, not just survive. Ladies let’s be found chasing hard after Christ, flourishing for His glory, focusing on Him as the prize.

Alicia Frick 

Alicia and her husband Ricky have been married for 20 fun, adventure-filled years. They are blessed with three children: Kenneth, 28, Lauren, 16, and Carson, 14. Alicia currently teaches the Free to Soar mixed-age Sunday School class and women's bible studies at First Irving. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, watching movies, and playing games with her family.