A friend read this story in her devotions yesterday, and it was insanely applicable for both of us... In the midst of saying goodbye and returning to school with a mixed bag of emotions, I am trying to remember to make the most of each moment instead of constantly wishing for the future. God has me here for a reason, and those at home are at home for a reason... Even though I might not prefer the circumstances, I can still look for His hand in each day and find ways to be a blessing to others.

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A story is told of a king who went into his garden one morning, and found everything withered and dying. He asked the oak that stood near the gate what the trouble was. He found it was sick of life and determined to die because it was not tall and beautiful like the pine. The pine was all out of heart because it could not bear grapes, like the vine. The vine was going to throw its life away because it could not stand erect and have as fine of fruit as the peach tree. The geranium was fretting because it was not tall and fragrant like the lilac, and so on all through the garden. Coming to a heartsease, he found its bright face lifted as cheery as ever. "Well, heartsease, I'm glad, amidst all this discouragement, to find one brave little flower. You do not seem to be the least disheartened." "No, I am not of much account, but I thought that if you wanted an oak, or a pine, or a peach tree, or a lilac, you would have planted one; but as I knew you wanted a heartsease, I am determined to be the best little heartsease that I can."

Others may do a greater work, but you have your part to do; and no one in all God's heritage can do it so well as you. They who are God's without reserve, are in every state content; for they will only what He wills, and desire to do for Him whatever He desires them to do; they strip themselves of everything, and in this nakedness find all things restored a hundredfold.