3 Jul 2026, 13:42Adina Lupu
Broken Gardens
In this encouraging reflection, Adina Lupu shares how the restoration of her spring flowers became a living illustration of God's faithfulness to revive what seems beyond recovery.
Spring is my favourite season. Every year it reminds me of God's power to revive, restore and bring fruitfulness where winter once seemed to speak only of death and barrenness.
As flowers begin to bloom, trees burst into leaf and birds fill the air with song, creation quietly proclaims that God is still in the business of bringing life from what appears lifeless.
This spring I planted pansies in the flowerpots outside my home. They were growing beautifully, and I looked forward to seeing them burst into full bloom.
Then one morning my heart sank.
Overnight, something – perhaps a deer – had eaten almost every flower. All that remained were broken stems and roots barely visible above the soil. My first instinct was to empty the pots and replace them. Surely nothing beautiful could grow from what looked so completely ruined.
At the very same time, I was walking through a season of disappointment in my own life.
I believed God was growing something beautiful – something that would bring glory to Him and bless others. I had prayed, trusted and waited expectantly. Then, almost overnight, everything seemed to collapse. Dreams I had cherished appeared to be cut off, and what I thought was flourishing suddenly looked beyond recovery.
As I stood looking at those broken flowerpots, a quiet thought came to my mind – an invitation from the Holy Spirit:
"Give them to Me."
So I did.
I surrendered those broken pansies to God and simply asked, "Lord, what will You do with them?"
But beneath that simple prayer was another, far more personal one.
What will You do with my broken dreams? My unanswered prayers? My disappointment?
Over the following weeks, I noticed tiny signs of life. Fresh green leaves appeared where there had only been broken stems. Hope slowly began to replace discouragement.
Still, I wondered if there would ever be flowers again.
Then, after returning from a holiday, I walked into my garden and stopped in amazement.
The flowerpots were overflowing with beautiful purple and white pansies. They stood tall in the sunshine, healthier and fuller than I could have imagined.
As I looked at them, I sensed the Lord gently reminding me that He is in the business of restoration. What seemed beyond recovery was never beyond His care.
Perhaps you are standing today in your own broken garden.
Has disappointment replaced hope? Have prayers remained unanswered? Has an unexpected loss left you wondering where God is? Perhaps a relationship has been damaged, a ministry opportunity has disappeared, or a door you believed God had opened has suddenly closed. Maybe you simply feel spiritually dry, longing once again to experience His presence.
The same invitation the Holy Spirit gave me is extended to each of us:
"Give it to Me."
Give Him your broken dreams.
Give Him your unanswered questions.
Give Him your pain, your tears and your disappointments.
Whatever has caused your brokenness, it is not beyond God's redeeming power.
Our Heavenly Father delights in restoring broken gardens. He takes our surrender and mingles it with His grace, compassion and unfailing love. In His perfect time, He brings beauty from ashes, hope from disappointment and new life where we could see only loss.
The restoration may not always look exactly as we imagined. Sometimes God restores our circumstances; sometimes He restores our hearts. But He never wastes our surrender.
Ellen White offers this encouraging reminder:
"In the future life the mysteries that here have annoyed and disappointed us will be made plain. We shall see that our seemingly unanswered prayers and disappointed hopes have been among our greatest blessings."
The Ministry of Healing, p. 474.
Isaiah 58:11 (AMP) gives us this wonderful promise:
"And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your soul in scorched and dry places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail."
May your seasons of disappointment be revived, restored and transformed into an abundance of fruitfulness as you entrust your circumstances to your Heavenly Father's loving care.
Adina Lupu is a member of the Glasgow Seventh-day Adventist Church.In this encouraging reflection, Adina Lupu shares how the restoration of her spring flowers became a living illustration of God's faithfulness to revive what seems beyond recovery.
Spring is my favourite season. Every year it reminds me of God's power to revive, restore and bring fruitfulness where winter once seemed to speak only of death and barrenness.
As flowers begin to bloom, trees burst into leaf and birds fill the air with song, creation quietly proclaims that God is still in the business of bringing life from what appears lifeless.
This spring I planted pansies in the flowerpots outside my home. They were growing beautifully, and I looked forward to seeing them burst into full bloom.
Then one morning my heart sank.
Overnight, something – perhaps a deer – had eaten almost every flower. All that remained were broken stems and roots barely visible above the soil. My first instinct was to empty the pots and replace them. Surely nothing beautiful could grow from what looked so completely ruined.
At the very same time, I was walking through a season of disappointment in my own life.
I believed God was growing something beautiful – something that would bring glory to Him and bless others. I had prayed, trusted and waited expectantly. Then, almost overnight, everything seemed to collapse. Dreams I had cherished appeared to be cut off, and what I thought was flourishing suddenly looked beyond recovery.
As I stood looking at those broken flowerpots, a quiet thought came to my mind – an invitation from the Holy Spirit:
"Give them to Me."
So I did.
I surrendered those broken pansies to God and simply asked, "Lord, what will You do with them?"
But beneath that simple prayer was another, far more personal one.
What will You do with my broken dreams? My unanswered prayers? My disappointment?
Over the following weeks, I noticed tiny signs of life. Fresh green leaves appeared where there had only been broken stems. Hope slowly began to replace discouragement.
Still, I wondered if there would ever be flowers again.
Then, after returning from a holiday, I walked into my garden and stopped in amazement.
The flowerpots were overflowing with beautiful purple and white pansies. They stood tall in the sunshine, healthier and fuller than I could have imagined.
As I looked at them, I sensed the Lord gently reminding me that He is in the business of restoration. What seemed beyond recovery was never beyond His care.
Perhaps you are standing today in your own broken garden.
Has disappointment replaced hope? Have prayers remained unanswered? Has an unexpected loss left you wondering where God is? Perhaps a relationship has been damaged, a ministry opportunity has disappeared, or a door you believed God had opened has suddenly closed. Maybe you simply feel spiritually dry, longing once again to experience His presence.
The same invitation the Holy Spirit gave me is extended to each of us:
"Give it to Me."
Give Him your broken dreams.
Give Him your unanswered questions.
Give Him your pain, your tears and your disappointments.
Whatever has caused your brokenness, it is not beyond God's redeeming power.
Our Heavenly Father delights in restoring broken gardens. He takes our surrender and mingles it with His grace, compassion and unfailing love. In His perfect time, He brings beauty from ashes, hope from disappointment and new life where we could see only loss.
The restoration may not always look exactly as we imagined. Sometimes God restores our circumstances; sometimes He restores our hearts. But He never wastes our surrender.
Ellen White offers this encouraging reminder:
"In the future life the mysteries that here have annoyed and disappointed us will be made plain. We shall see that our seemingly unanswered prayers and disappointed hopes have been among our greatest blessings."
The Ministry of Healing, p. 474.
Isaiah 58:11 (AMP) gives us this wonderful promise:
"And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your soul in scorched and dry places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail."
May your seasons of disappointment be revived, restored and transformed into an abundance of fruitfulness as you entrust your circumstances to your Heavenly Father's loving care.
Adina Lupu is a member of the Glasgow Seventh-day Adventist Church.
