A Lesson From the Last Bloom Standing

The Only Bloom in My Garden to Survive

After several days of freezing weather, only one bloom in my garden survived. Just one.

Why?

It wasn’t stronger. It wasn’t bigger. It was positioned differently.

It faced the bricks instead of the wind.

That small detail made all the difference.

And it made me wonder: Are we positioned to withstand the wind of this world?

The wind blowing around us is not gentle. It carries temptation, pride, comparison, vanity, and a constant pull for the approval of others. Sometimes, protecting ourselves means turning away from that wind altogether. It may feel like facing a brick wall or like stepping out of what everyone else is doing, but that posture can be what keeps us spiritually alive.

The Approval We Chase

We live in a time where enormous energy is spent on outward appearance, success, and status. There is nothing wrong with wanting to look nice or do well. But we must ask:

Am I working on my heart as much as my image? Am I seeking God’s approval or people’s attention? Am I flirting with sin in ways I’ve learned to excuse?

Vanity is more than caring about how we look. It’s a preoccupation with how we are perceived. It’s pride dressed up as self-expression. It slowly shifts our focus from glorifying God to glorifying ourselves.

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble…thinking of others as better than yourselves.”  (Philippians 2:3–4)

We are in an epidemic of seeking the approval of man rather than God.

During a recent 30-day fast, God showed me how subtly this can creep in. We can look like we are walking with God while still chasing validation from people, success, relationships, or attention. We can say the right things and still live divided lives.

But here’s the truth: the emptiness we try to fill will never be satisfied by anything but Jesus.

You can bury yourself in distractions. You can jump from relationship to relationship. You can credit yourself for every success. But none of it fills the space that was designed for Him.

Show Me Your Friends, I’ll Show You Your Future

When you step back and observe the world instead of being swept up in it, you begin to see clearly. The people around you shape your direction.

Some may say they love Jesus but live in ways that contradict Him behind closed doors. That kind of double life eventually reveals itself. God can heal anyone, but we must be honest enough to admit where we stand.

I would rather walk beside someone who is starting over with God than someone pretending they don’t need to.

Don’t Be Swayed by What “Everyone” Is Doing

We live in a world where almost anything goes. But that “freedom” often leads to destruction dressed up as pleasure.

God’s word is true and just and never changes…

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”  (Proverbs 16:18)

“He who loves money will not be satisfied with money…this too is vanity.” 

(Ecclesiastes 5:10)

This is especially true in relationships. Many give up during the climb up the mountain. But if you keep going and work through the hard seasons, the valley on the other side is sweeter and stronger than you imagined.

Don’t Flirt with Sin

That’s the heart of it.

Don’t stand in the wind and wonder why you feel weak. Turn your face toward the bricks. Turn toward God. It may feel lonely. You may feel like the only bloom left standing.

But you will still be blooming.

Let people look at your life and wonder what is different. Let the answer simply be: Jesus.

Real freedom comes from letting go of the world’s pull and choosing God’s way instead. His Word has always been true, and it will never change.

“Vanity of vanities…all is vanity.”  (Ecclesiastes 12:8)

So if there’s any train you’re thinking of jumping on, let it be Jesus.

He is the only One who heals, directs, and sustains. And when the wind blows hard, you’ll still be standing…protected, rooted, and very much alive.

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Stacey Judice is first and foremost a lover of everything Jesus! She is a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and a new grandmother. She loves telling great stories in her publication Community Chronicles. And her hobby of thrifting has become a small business in selling vintage items in two Acadiana shops. 

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