Blooms in the Drought

This month marks almost 6 months without any real rainfall. Six months of drought. This month also marks the hottest month of the year. Everything is dry, brown, dusty, and really dry. Despite the conditions and bursting through the overwhelming hues of brown, one tree is thriving.

The Jacaranda.

The used-to-be black streets lined with brown grass and a lighter brown covering of dust on every surface all seem quite dull. But breaking through the monotony is this brilliant purple. Neon lavender. Brown limbs adorned with clusters of the most beautiful shade of purple.

But how?

I’m no tree expert, but I do know that no one is watering these trees. They are lined along roads, tucked away in random places, and even sprinkled throughout the Ng’ombe compound. You can’t miss ‘em. They are blooming so boldly, so courageously, so miraculously.

They are strong, thriving even in the midst of the driest of dry season here in Zambia. They seem to call out, begging attention to recognize something so incredible. They can’t and won’t be masked by the overwhelming browns. They won’t stop blooming in the most intense heat. They are making a statement that reaches far beyond flowers and trees and nature.

They are blooming in the dry season, regardless of the dry, in hopeful anticipation of what is to come.

These trees bloom because they know the rains are coming. Even if they are late, this year will not pass without the rains falling. They know that. They bloom in confidence. The season is approaching; it’s just weeks away. The rains will bring relief, provision, nourishment, color, brilliance, variety, food, cloud cover, life to this dried up land.

Sometimes the season of rain seems too far away. It seems like maybe it won’t even come this year. But it will come. It is coming. It is coming to satisfy, to restore, to renew, to give life. And the Jacaranda trees signal its coming. The trees themselves remind us to push on, to endure, for the rains are almost here. And not even to just endure, lifeless and dried up, but to endure with hope and joy and brilliance and blooms.

And this speaks so deep to my soul. Even in the dryness, we can bloom. We can sprinkle this dry, parched land with the most radiant of colors. We can speak through the dust and heat, and remind our souls that the rain is coming. Relief is coming. Provision is coming. But we don’t have to wait for the rains in order to act. We can bloom knowing our source of life is sure to fulfill Its promise. We can dig our roots deep knowing the nourishment to continue is there. We can bloom in faith of what is to come. We will not be forgotten. We will not be passed over. This land will not stay dry. This struggle, this drought will not last forever. But even during the drought, I will choose to bloom. I will choose to radiate the greatest Beauty, the most exciting Hope, the Giver of life, the Source of true joy and peace- Jesus. 

[Photo from GoogleImages, simply because I couldn't risk getting in a wreck on the streets to photograph the Jacarandas that really do look like this in Lusaka] :)