Dead Blossoms

In the past 44 years of my life, I’ve learned a great number of things.  Most of which have been inspiring, whereas others been cautionary tales.  One of the most important lessons taught me how to distinguish a “Dead Blossom.”  What exactly is a dead blossom, you might wonder? It is a term that I’ve coined for an acquaintance that doesn’t warrant a significance timeframe in my life.  Just yesterday, I shared this philosophy with a good friend of mine.   She discovered some so-called friends had made an unfair assumption about her.   In other words, they accused her of something in which she is innocent.  She was hurt and disappointed, to say the least.

In an effort to comfort her, I suggested she now consider those relationships as “Dead Blossoms.”   I gave her an analogy of a floral bouquet.  Then I told her to envision how a fresh bundle of flowers look and smell like when we first receive them.  As the days go by, the once tall stems will inevitable begin to dwindle.  Eventually, the sweet smells begin to cease and blooms start to fade.  Although cut flowers are beautiful, they have a short lifespan. That’s how certain friendships and/or relationships are meant be in our lives, just for a season. Ecclesiastes 3:5b-6 KJV says there’s, “A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away…”

I know I’ve been guilty of holding onto people who were only meant to be in my life for a short period of time.  I thank God that I finally understand the importance of knowing when to let go.  Maybe you, too, are holding onto some Dead Blossoms?  Is it that friend who has proven they are not reliable during tough times?  Is it that loved one who only takes but never gives?  Is it those co-workers who intentionally leave you out of those important invites?  Who are the Dead Blossoms in your life?  Who ever it is, the good news is that we don’t have to continue to hold onto them.   We can either choose “a time to embrace” drama or “a time to refrain from” it.   We can decide that it’s finally “time to keep” peace or “to cast (it) away…”   Ultimately, beloved, the choice is up to us!