🌼 Jill's Bright Spot

This Week's Bloom 🌸

Marigold — Warmth • Courage • Creativity

Bright and cheerful even as the days grow shorter, the marigold reminds us that a little courage can shine through even the spookiest moments.

Halloween is almost here, which means it's time for ghosts, goblins, and all sorts of things that are supposed to scare us. Of course, as adults, our fears tend to be a little different. Forget haunted houses. 👻

How about accidentally hitting the FaceTime button on a call before you've had your first cup of coffee? Now that's scary! ☕️

Or hearing a strange noise in the house in the middle of the night? Suddenly I'm wide awake, considering every possible explanation. Was that the air conditioner or the ice maker? Or is there someone standing in the kitchen? Naturally, I send my husband to investigate, I mean, we're a team, right? 😉

And then there are the everyday things we worry about. Like trying something new, or walking into a room where we don't know anyone. Or making an important decision, or saying yes when we're not entirely sure we're ready.

Those fears don't come with spooky music or glowing jack-o'-lanterns, but they can feel very real.🎃

Sometimes just the act of worrying, though, has quite an imagination. Give it one small concern and it can create an entire story in no time, all the what ifs…

What if this happens? What if that goes wrong?

Before long, something that hasn't even happened yet has taken up residence in our minds and made itself quite comfortable. Maybe that's why Halloween is such a funny holiday. For one night, we deliberately surround ourselves with things that are supposed to frighten us—and then we laugh.

We decorate our houses with skeletons and ghosts and hang spiders from trees. And then children dress up and ring our doorbells asking for chocolate. We carve out pumpkins and create jack-o-lanterns.

Do you think there's a little lesson hiding among all those pumpkins? Sometimes the things that frighten us become a lot less frightening when we bring them into the light.

I've certainly worried about something for days or weeks, only to discover that once I finally faced it, it wasn't nearly as terrible as I'd imagined.

That doesn't mean every fear is silly or every worry disappears easily. Some seasons of life require genuine courage, patience and faith. But courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is simply saying, “I'll try,” or sometimes it's asking for help. Sometimes it's taking one small step when we'd rather stay exactly where we are. Or sometimes it's trusting that even though we can't see what's around the next corner, we won't have to face it alone. Faith has a way of reminding me of that.

So this Halloween, I'm going to try to save my fear for the really frightening things. Like trying a new recipe. 😉

🌼 Before We Turn the Page...

Do you know someone who's facing something that feels a little scary right now?

Maybe they're starting a new job, making a difficult decision, or moving somewhere new. Reaching out with a text or a phone call, just to let them know you are there if they need anything, helps them face the future with a little more courage.

And if you're feeling a little afraid? Believe you have the courage to take one that small step and have a little faith.

And remember—even the darkest night looks different when someone turns on a light.

Many Blessings and Blossoms,
~ Jill ~