Do you ever feel like you've been buried alive?  Buried under paperwork.  Buried under obligations.  Buried beneath grief, overwhelming conditions or rocky relationships.  The weight presses down on you, threatening to crush and suffocate you.  It wasn't that long ago that everything was fine.  Then, without warning, the burying began, and now you're unsure which way is up and if you'll ever see the beauty of sunlight again.

Would you like to hear the good news?  Yes, there is a positive to being buried alive if you'll take a moment to look at it from the proper perspective.  Imagine, if you will, that you're a seed.  One moment you're safe and sound in the hands of the gardener.  Then suddenly, you're thrust into a less-than-ideal setting, and little by little, you become totally encompassed by the cold darkness of the earth around you.  You no longer see the gardener, the sun, or hope, for that matter. Instead, as days go by, you find yourself sinking deeper until one day, you realize that something is taking place within you.  You're changing--transforming into something different, something better.  Where not long ago, you were a simple seed, now you notice the fresh green of new life and the budding of vivid color.  And finally, as you continue to grow and morph, you break through the soil that once concealed you.  Turning your brightly-colored petals toward the warmth of the sun, you rejoice to see the gardener smiling down upon you.  As he cups you in his loving hands, he says, "I knew you had it in you.  I knew you would be beautiful.  You thought you were being buried, but in truth, you were being planted. It took a little time to grow into what I always knew you could be, but look at you now!  You're beautiful, my child."

My friend, whatever situation you're facing today, whatever has you weighed down, whatever has you buried, may I suggest that God has planted you where you are in order for you to bloom forth into what He would have you to be?  You're not buried, never to see the sun again.  Instead, you've been planted, waiting for God's perfect timing for you to bloom and grow into a new creature, full of life and ready to be used for His glory.  The sun has not disappeared.  The Gardener has never left nor will He ever leave your side.  You will soon emerge from the cold, dark earth, and when you do, you won't recognize yourself.  No longer a simple seed but now a beautiful bloom, shining brightly in the rays of the warm sunshine.  Hold on a little longer.  You're in good hands!