In our backyard, we have a cactus, and it’s striking. It’s huge—probably 15 feet tall. It’s like the ones you see in old westerns.
The other day, I noticed that there were some buds beginning to emerge from it. I thought, “I wonder if that’s going to bloom.” Our family came back that evening and went to the backyard, and on the cactus were these amazing flowers—the size of your hand—with white petals. It was glorious. I didn’t know that something that seemed like a normal cactus could bloom.
I researched and found that this type of cacti only blooms once a year and only at night. The cactus will put out this beautiful flower, and come sunrise, it closes, and it’s done. That’s it. Blooms once and blooms at night.
This reminds me that beautiful things can emerge right in the darkness.
The other day, I was holding my phone, thinking about what needed to be done the following day. Within four minutes, I got four texts.
- One text from a neighbor whose marriage is suffering.
- Another from someone who is depressed and feels like they’re at the end.
- Another from someone dealing with a family trauma.
- And the last from my wife about one of our own kids who got in trouble at school.
Within four minutes, I got four messages–all of which felt like darkness.
I thought about that cactus and how it has learned to produce a bloom in the middle of the night. Then I thought about these four crises. If we could see those crises differently, we might see what God could bring forth through it.
I began to pray for each person. “Lord, in this darkness, produce a bloom. Lord, in this depression, produce a bloom. Lord in this trauma, produce a bloom…”
When we sat around the dinner table that night with our own kid who had gotten in trouble at school, there were some tears, some confessions and an acknowledgement of the truth. Our family formed a team, and we committed to help support this family member through what felt like a trial.
The following day, I heard from all the people who messaged me.
The person with the struggling marriage said, “Thank you so much for your prayers. Something shifted in the night. It’s hard, but we are on the same page today.”
The person who was experiencing depression called to say that they felt seen and heard. They had received care and felt a reduction in symptoms.
And the person dealing with a family trauma shared that it was still hard; but there was a sense that they could go through it with God beside them.
God produced blooms all around me in the middle of the night.
What darkness might you be facing in this moment, and what bloom are you expecting to see Jesus produce in the middle of the night?
Joe White is pastor of Neighborhood Church in Fresno, California, where he lives with his wife and four children.
