“At night we may cry, but when morning comes we will celebrate.” – Psalms 30: 5 CEV

Sa United Kingdom ay merong very famous occasion where the Royal Family attend. It is called the “Chelsea Flower Festival.” This is normally held in May of every year. What is significant in this festival is that it happens after the cold season. They have four seasons in the UK: winter, fall, summer and spring. Life is full of winters and “cold seasons” but I am reminded that in the book of Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” We have to learn to handle our cold seasons or winters of life because it always comes.

Many always resent the seasons but never had the mastery of these. Life is like a mixed bags of the good stuff and the bad. The winters and the summers. But what God is doing is that he shows us a pattern: many times before we blossom, there’s a dry season, a drought, nothing good happens, no favor, no promotion, things are slow. Minsan hinahanap natin ang Lord: “where are you? Bakit parang walang pagbabago? But remember that God’s plan includes the dry season and the rainy season, so don’t worry. It’s preparing Him for new things for you. Be faithful in dry season and the rainy season. For flowers to bloom, they need to be exposed in different seasons such as dry season and rainy season. Kadalasan, iyong ating pagiging mainipin ay dahilan for you to see God’s whole plan. However, nice weather, sunshine, the correct amount of rain, and little fertiliser would be ideal for a great bloom. But if you want to have a super blooms, it requires drought and heavy rain. Minsan sa malalakas na bagyo at daluyong, lalo mong makikita ang magagandang plano ng Diyos. Akala mo bagyo na kabiguan, ulan at baha ng katalunan, iyon pala ulan ng pagpapala.

Example of dry season is that you’ve lost a job, medical report shows you will not recover in your sickness, your child is a black sheep and will not change. Example of rainy season is trouble in your marriage, your relationship, trouble at work, a pandemic, a betrayal by a good friend , you lost a loved one. Mahirap magpasalamat sa Diyos when bad things happen. But when you understand how God works, that the dry season, the excessive rain that’s all leading you to a power bloom. The dry season is not permanent, the excessive rain may feel like it’s going to flood you, like you’re going to go under, but you are the apply of God’s eyes. He will never allow these troubles to break you. He knows your structure and will never give you rains you cannot bear. The dry season and the excessive rain are not to put you down but to really set you up to flourish, to blossom, to see greater favor.

Many years ago, a very famous company terminated me and its employees tried to bad-mouth me. They connived to make me expelled out of the company which I love very much to work in. Marami akong magagandang alaala sa company na ito. But one day I saw myself in a tabloid saying that every transaction made under me is void and not effective – with the bold black letters “NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC”. Even if the company gave me a confirmation letter that I did not stole or mis-appropriate money, but still I was very ashamed because those people who fabricated negativity and bad publicity were good friends of mine. Those times were dry season and heavy rain for me. I never thought that life could be so cruel, despite of me giving my everything for the sake of my career and the company. I found out that these people were envious that I was getting all the accoladed and awards. They decided to destroy me to get rid of me.

But I held on to God’s Word and I remember na ang “pag-iyak ay magtatagal ng magdamag, ngunit ang galak ay darating sa umaga.” I lived on this promise that this rain will not fool me. I trusted God and said that if it wasn’t helping me, He wouldn’t have permitted it. sure, I’m in a dry or rainy season, I have these problems, but I felt that power bloom is waiting for me and the best is ahead of me, that I will blossom in my family, health, and relationships. I then applied to a very different discipline, my long-lost dream – to become a trial attorney. It is 13 years after I was terminated unlawfully, I found myself to be in a court of law, fighting for those people who are at a disadvantage and with nobody to help them. I was amazed to see the pattern of my life, and looking back through all those years of weeping, I can now say, “all things worked together for my good.”

This is what happened to Joseph in the Bible. He dreamed of leadership and greatness from God. Despite objections, that seed was planted. Delays, setbacks, and betrayal are necessary for success. St Paul wrote, “A wide door of opportunity is open, and there are many adversaries” (1 Corinthians 6:9). If God gave us the dream and fulfilled it without troubles, that would be fantastic. But we wouldn’t grow, our spiritual muscles will not be built, or we will not trust the Lord because it things were easy. Remember that God will test you in difficult times. That’s where you prove you can manage the blessing, the favor, and that you won’t let disappointments, bad breaks, and people who come against you make you bitter and give up on your dreams. Your job is to pass the tests. Your job is to keep believing even when it’s raining hard.

For 13 dry years in Egypt, Joseph endured. He might have said that “It’ll never happen now and God may have forgotted me because it’s taking a long time.” Maraming pinagdaanan si Joseph but he needed to endured the dry season, excessive rain, hardship, betrayal, rejection, and lonely nights, but those conditions are ideal for a great bloom.

Pharaoh had a confusing dream one morning. Sinabi ng butler ng hari that Joseph could interpret dreams. “They sent word for Joseph to come quickly to the palace” (Genesis 41:14). Akala ni Joseph that that day was just an ordinary day for him, but he was taken to the palace. Alam mo ba that God can suddenly change your dry season. Thoughts say, “Take years to get out of this mess, years to get out of debt, years to get healthy again, years to meet the right person”. Let me tell you that, one good break, one phone call, one divine connection, one idea, and everything changes.

After Joseph interpreted the Pharaoh’s dream, he made him Egypt’s prime minister. He rose from slavery to power. Joseph had the dream, that seed was in him, then he went through a long dry season. Troubles, betrayal, and excessive rain followed. Though unfair, but he stayed faithful. Despite not understanding, he did the right thing. He thereafter received unimaginable favor and honour.

We all have dry seasons that last longer than expected. It seems like God has forgotten us, but that dry season is part of His work. He’s working behind the scenes to remove obstacles to your harvest, such as wrongdoers, weeds, and debris. It’s preparing you. The weather, opposition, and bad break felt unfair, but they actually set you up. That rain is deep-watering God’s seeds in your heart. Dinidilig ng Lord ang iyong mga pangarap dahil alam Niya na wala kang magagawa kung wala Siya.

Maaaring malungkot ka, may problema ka sa trabaho, or may malaking problema sa pera. Maaring iniisip mong natutulog ang Diyos. But no. God is predicting a mega bloom. May mga bagong bagay, something new, something unexpected, favour, increase and blessings are coming your way.

Keep doing the right thing when it’s hard. Like Joseph, be kind to unkind people, praise the Lord even in dry seasons, and thank God even in the heavy rain. Hindi ka Niya pababayaan. One day you will realise and thank God you have been through those seasons and got through them all – you have learned to trust in Jesus. You have learned to trust in God. Those trials bring out the better, increased, promoted, stronger, healthier, happier You. A spectacular bloom season, aspirations coming true, opportunities finding you, good breaks chasing you, and the right people are connecting to you. God will make you shine, He will put you the head and not the tail, ikaw ang mangunguna at hindi ka mahuhuli. The world will know that you are the child of the Most High God. He will lift you high above so they will see God’s goodness in your life.

After Joseph became Egypt’s prime minister, his brothers sought meals at the palace. Joseph’s identity surprised them. In Genesis 50:20 CEV, he stated, “You tried to harm me, but God made it turn out for the best“. He said, “You mean it to stop me, but God was using you like a pawn to get me in position, so I could see my dream come to pass”. Just like Joseph, relax ka lang. Avoid conflict. Dry and rainy seasons should not make you afraid. God knows where you are and how you are. When it’s your time, the forces of darkness cannot stop God’s promotion, vindication, honour, and breakthroughs. What God says yes nobody can say no.

Don’t let the dry and rain season fool you. That’s not who your life ends. Maaaring bumabaha ngayon, malakas ang ulan ngayon, there’s heartache, disappointment and loss. But God will use the rain to lead you to a power blossom and for you to thrive and flourish. Your best days are ahead of you.