In the early spring of 1938, long before tractors
hummed across every field and before electricity reached the farthest farms,
there lived a widow named Mrs. Eliza Harper. Her little white farmhouse
sat at the edge of a valley where the snow melted slowly and the robins always
returned first.
Eliza had known many hard winters, but that year had been
the hardest. The coal bin was nearly empty by February, and the pantry shelves
looked bare enough to echo. Still, every morning she lit her small kitchen
stove, warmed her hands, and whispered the same prayer:
“Help me, Lord Jesus. You have never failed me yet.”
One chilly March morning, she stepped outside to check the
clothesline. The air still held winter’s bite, but the sun had a new warmth to
it. As she stood there, she noticed something she hadn’t seen in years—
a single green shoot pushing up beside the porch steps.
A tulip.
Her late husband had planted bulbs along that porch the
first spring after they married. Most had long since disappeared, but this
one—this brave little stem—had survived.
Eliza knelt beside it, touched the tender leaf, and felt
tears warm her cheeks.
“Lord,” she whispered, “You remember me.”
That same afternoon, as she was sweeping the kitchen floor,
she heard the crunch of wagon wheels on the gravel drive. It was Mr.
Thompson, the storekeeper from town.
“Mrs. Harper,” he called, stepping down from his wagon, “we
had an overstock of flour and beans at the store. Thought you might be able to
use some.”
Behind him were two full sacks of flour, a crate
of canned peaches, a bag of potatoes, and a bundle of firewood
tied with rope.
Eliza pressed a hand to her heart.
“But I didn’t order anything.”
Mr. Thompson smiled kindly.
“No ma’am. But the Lord put you on someone’s mind.”
When he drove away, Eliza stood on her porch, the tulip at
her feet, the sun warming her shoulders, and the goodness of God filling her
home like spring air through an open window.
That night, she wrote in her worn journal:
“March 12, 1938 — Today the Lord reminded me that His
goodness does not depend on my strength, but on His love. Winter may linger,
but God is good, and spring always comes.”
And for the rest of her days, whenever someone felt
discouraged, Eliza would smile softly and say:
“Child, don’t you worry. I’ve seen God send tulips
through frozen ground.”
Susan Barker Nikitenko 2026© .
🌸 Praising Quotes From the Heart
1. “Lord, You are the melody in my silence, the light in my waiting, the strength in my surrender.”
2. “I praise You not because life is easy, but because You are faithful through every storm.”
3. “Your mercy is the morning I wake to, and Your grace is the peace I sleep in.”
4. “When I lift my hands, I’m not reaching for answers—I’m reaching for You.”
5. “You are the beauty behind every sunrise, the kindness behind every answered prayer.”
6. “Even when I have no words, my soul still sings: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord.’”
7. “Praise is the heartbeat of a soul that remembers who saved it.”
8. “You are worthy, Lord—not because of what You give, but because of who You are.”
9. “I will praise You in the valley, because You are the same God who walked me through the mountaintop.”
10. “Let every breath be a hallelujah, and every step a testimony of Your love.”
✨ “Help Me, Lord Jesus” — Quotes From the Heart
1. “Help me, Lord Jesus; when my strength runs out, let me fall into Yours.”
2. “Help me, Lord Jesus; calm the storms inside me before You calm the storms around me.”
3. “Help me, Lord Jesus; hold my heart steady when my steps feel unsure.”
4. “Help me, Lord Jesus; remind me that Your grace is greater than anything I face.”
5. “Help me, Lord Jesus; speak peace into the places where fear has lived too long.”
6. “Help me, Lord Jesus; lift my eyes from what overwhelms me to the One who carries me.”
7. “Help me, Lord Jesus; let Your love be the anchor when everything else shifts.”
8. “Help me, Lord Jesus; teach my weary soul to rest in Your promises.”
9. “Help me, Lord Jesus; shine Your light on the path I cannot see.”
10. “Help me, Lord Jesus; be my comfort, my courage, and my constant hope.”
🐴💐 Melvina’s Springtime Makeover Mishap
A Funny Melvina Donkey Story — Second Choice
Spring had arrived in Pinebark Valley, and the whole town was buzzing about the Annual Flower Festival. Everyone was decorating wagons, porches, and even bicycles with tulips, daisies, and ribbons.
Everyone… except Melvina.
Melvina the Lone Donkey watched from the fence line, feeling a little left out. She wanted to be part of the festival too — but nobody had asked her to help decorate anything. And Melvina was not the type to wait for an invitation.
So she decided to decorate herself.
First, she wandered over to Mrs. Poppywell’s garden and gently plucked a tulip with her teeth.
Then another.
Then another.
By the time she was done, she had an entire bouquet sticking out of her mane like a flowery mohawk.
Next, she trotted to the church yard where the children had left a basket of ribbons. Melvina stuck her nose in, came up with three ribbons tangled around her ears, and proudly shook her head until they fluttered like flags.
Feeling fabulous, she strutted down Main Street.
People gasped.
Children pointed.
Sister Hattie nearly dropped her lemonade.
“Good heavens!” she cried. “Melvina looks like she fell into a craft store!”
Melvina brayed proudly and kept walking — until a sudden gust of wind blew through town.
The tulips flew off her head.
The ribbons whipped around her ears.
And Melvina, startled, took off running straight through the festival grounds.
She dashed past the pie table.
She zoomed around the quilting booth.
She galloped through the tulip archway, leaving petals swirling behind her like confetti.
Finally, she skidded to a stop in front of the judges’ stand — covered in ribbons, leaves, and exactly one tulip stuck to her tail.
The judges stared.
Then the head judge burst out laughing.
“Well,” he said, wiping his eyes, “I’ve never seen anything like it… but I think we have our winner for Most Creative Spring Display!”
And that’s how Melvina the Lone Donkey became the first — and probably the last — donkey to win a ribbon at the Pinebark Valley Flower Festival..
📖 Verses to Admonish and Encourage
🙏 Prayer for Trusting God and Abounding in His Work
(Inspired by 1 Corinthians 15:58, Proverbs 3:5–6, and Psalm 37:5 — KJV)
Heavenly Father,
We come before You with hearts that long to trust and hands that long to serve.
Teach us to lean not on our own understanding, but to trust in You with all our heart.
Help us to commit our way unto You, knowing You shall bring it to pass.
When the path feels uncertain, remind us that You are faithful.
When the work feels heavy, remind us that our labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Give us grace to abound — not just to serve, but to serve with joy, with love, and with steadfastness.
Let us be unmovable in our faith, always abounding in Your work,
knowing that every act of kindness, every prayer, every song of praise
is seen by You and used for Your glory.
We trust You, Lord — with our plans, our burdens, our future.
And we thank You for the strength to keep going,
for the peace that passes understanding,
and for the promise that You are working all things together for good.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
