Desert Flower

Desert Flower in Death Valley

photo credit

Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her.

There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will sing as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

- Hosea 2:14-15

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
is working for us a far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory,
while we do not look at the things which are seen,
but at the things which are not seen.
For the things which are seen are temporary,
but the things which are not seen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

My friend celebrated her birthday today. She turned 68, but she looks so much younger than her age.

I call her Desert Flower.

Our friendship dates back to 1979, that is more than 30 years ago!

Ernie and I were only married a year when we moved to Bacolod City from Manila. We began attending this new church and this was how we met Desert Flower and her husband, V.

It was a young, vibrant church with only about 20 attending in its first few months. We were nourished on good solid teaching from the Bible Sunday after Sunday and during the small group Bible studies in homes the rest of the week.

Those are memorable years for me. We were like a family, growing together as the foundation and building blocks of our faith were being strengthened, individually and corporately.

Desert Flower and V. have seven children - five girls and two boys.

Somewhere along the way, their marriage broke up.

That was many years ago. Today Desert Flower lives alone, as all her children are now grown and have families of their own.

Her life is a monument to the audacious faith that I wrote about in one of my recent posts.

The sad circumstances of her life will not be the focus of this post...but rather the person that she has become today because of them.

When she shares about her past, I see no trace of anger or bitterness in her. She doesn't even talk much about details. "It's all under the blood now," she tells me. "I don't dwell on them anymore."

She says she has cried buckets of tears, and yet the tears easily flow today especially when she realizes the goodness of God in her life.

Her children and grandchildren are the focus of her prayers. Her mother's love for all of them knows no bounds. "Lidj, please pray for my daughter... or please pray for my son... or please pray for my grandson... " are the messages she would send me on my phone every now and then.

I call her Desert Flower because she is a woman who has managed to bloom in the midst of the painful and difficult circumstances of her life.

A desert flower survives the harshest wilderness condition, extreme heat by day and extreme cold by night.

For many months the plant appears dead and dried up, but unknown to the naked eye of the passerby,

it has driven its roots deep into the hard desert soil,

waiting patiently to find water...

and with the right combination of heat and cold, this plant begins to come to life, puts out buds, and blooms!

And this is exactly the way I see Desert Flower. To say that she has "survived" is an understatement...for the amazing truth about her is that she has overcome.

And continues to do so. Her roots have found water and tapped into that eternal well which never will run dry.


On this post I want to honor my friend, and encourage her heart.

Desert Flower
She and I had coffee and a bagel at Starbucks this morning.
July 13, 2010

I have great admiration for you dear Desert Flower.

You have held on to your faith, you have not faltered, you have not let go of your God. And He has not disappointed you.

You have diligently sought Him, and you have found Him.

He is your True Love, the One who will not disappoint you, leave you, or forsake you.

He has poured healing oil over the wounds of your heart.

He is your fountain of living water, He waters the dry and parched places of your soul.

Nothing that anyone has done to you is a statement of your true value.

The Heavenly Father knows your worth. You are precious in His sight. He has kept your tears in a bottle, and He is turning your teardrops into precious stones and He holds them close to His heart.


May your legacy of a forgiving heart be passed on to your children, and your children's children... may your family relationships be forever changed.

I declare today that no weapon formed against you and your loved ones will prosper. More than vindication, restoration will come. All the sorrows that your family has endured will not go to waste, for He is the God who turns our mourning into dancing, our sorrow into gladness!

May you continue to bloom for Him, even in the seemingly dry places where you find yourself...changing from glory to glory, until the day that He calls you into His presence.


I dedicate this song to you, dear friend.

God of Our Yesterdays
Matt Redman

We were in the darkest night,
And wondered if our eyes would ever see the light,
You were there, Lord,
We were in the storm again,
And wondered if we’d ever live in peace again,
You were there, Lord,
You were there is the struggle,
You were there in the fire,
You were there all the time.

Praise you, the God of our yesterdays,
Praise you, the God who is here today,
Praise you, our God, as tomorrow comes.

So whatever lies ahead,
Whatever roads our grateful hearts will come to tread,
You’ll be there, Lord,
And we will fix our eyes on you,
And know that there is grace enough to see us through,
You’ll be there, Lord,
You’ll be there in the struggle,
You’ll be there in the fight,
You’ll be there all the time.

Praise you, the God of our yesterdays,
Praise you, the God who is here today,
Praise you, our God, as tomorrow comes.
We thank you for grace in our yesterdays,
We thank you for peace in our hearts today,
And thank you, our Joy, as tomorrow comes,
We will trust you, God.

You’re always closer than we know,
Always more involved and in control,
We will trust our lives to you,
The One who was, and is, and is to come!

Praise you, the God of our yesterdays,
Praise you, the God who is here today,
Praise you, our God, as tomorrow comes.
We thank you for grace in our yesterdays,
We thank you for peace in our hearts today,
And thank you, our Joy, as tomorrow comes,
We will trust you, God.