Cypress And Myrtle

Tag: Christian woman

  • Cypress and Myrtle: A Promise For Every Season

    Some of you may be wondering why I chose to name this blog Cypress and Myrtle. A quick search in the Bible leads to Isaiah 55:12–13:

    “You will go out in joy
    and be led forth in peace;
    the mountains and hills
    will burst into song before you,
    and all the trees of the field
    will clap their hands.
    Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
    and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
    This will be for the Lord’s renown,
    for an everlasting sign,
    that will endure forever.”

    These verses were shared with me at my baptism, and they’ve been etched in my heart ever since. They’ve whispered hope during dark seasons and magnified joy in times of celebration.

    From Exile to Hope

    Isaiah 55 was written during a painful time in Israel’s history – their exile in Babylon. They were a displaced people, longing for freedom, identity, and peace. It was in this context that God spoke through the prophet Isaiah, painting a vision of restoration; hope for a future filled with renewal and joy.

    Why Cypress and Myrtle?

    In verse 13, the thornbush is replaced by the cypress (sometimes translated juniper), and the brier by the myrtle. These are deeply symbolic plants.

    The cypress is tall, evergreen, and strong—often associated with life, endurance, and eternal hope.

    The myrtle, with its fragrant leaves and white blossoms, is a symbol of peace, joy, and divine blessing in Jewish tradition.

    Together, they represent a transformation from pain to beauty, from despair to delight, from exile to restoration.

    This speaks to the very heart of God’s nature. He doesn’t just remove the thorns in our lives. He replaces them with something better. Something beautiful. Something enduring.

    A Name and a Reminder

    I named this blog Cypress and Myrtle to remind myself and hopefully others, that we are never stuck in the wilderness forever. Whether we’re walking through sorrow or standing on a mountaintop, God’s promises still hold. He is always working to bring about renewal and restoration.

    This space is where I hope to share stories, reflections, and everyday moments where I see God’s hand turning thorn bushes into cypress trees, and briers into blossoming myrtle.

    No matter where you are in your journey, may these verses remind you: there is purpose in the waiting, hope in the silence, and beauty still to come.

  • 8 Strips Of Paper

    It was 2006, and I was in a season of turmoil, standing at the crossroads of chasing my ambitions and seeking God’s purpose for my life. I wrestled with where my own desires ended and where His calling began.

    During that time, I was reading The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren and A Woman After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George. One night, I tore a page from my notebook and wrote down eight things I needed God to help me with, each on a strip of paper.

    In no particular order, my list read:

    To be godly feminine

    To be alone but not lonely

    To be a better steward of money

    To be a better steward of time

    To learn to live in a Christian community

    To find a life partner

    To have more faith in Him

    To have more courage

    I folded the eight strips of paper and placed them in a shoebox. A few months later, I opened the box to revisit my list. Nothing had changed.

    A year later, on my birthday, I opened the box again. Not much had happened, except one thing: I realized I was no longer as lonely when I was alone.

    At the end of 2007, I made a bold decision to leave the corporate world and become a full-time seminary student. It meant living on campus for at least a year, without a stable income. It was a scary step. (The initial one year became three years).

    A year into seminary life, I opened the shoebox again. This time, I found that almost every prayer had been answered:

    I was learning to be godly feminine.

    I have learned to live in a community of believers.

    With no regular income, I learned to steward both time and money with discipline.

    My faith was growing. So was my courage.

    All except one; to find a life partner.

    But God wasn’t done. I met him in seminary. He was a fellow student, also following God’s call. We became friends, then more. Two years after I graduated, we got married. The final prayer in the shoebox was answered.

    Blessings Come After Obedience

    My journey reminded me of Abraham.

    In Genesis 12, God gave Abraham a command:
    “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”
    (Genesis 12:1, NIV)

    God didn’t give Abraham a detailed plan. There was no map, no itinerary.

    But God let him know the blessings he would receive if he chose to obey God.
    “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you… and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
    (Genesis 12:2–3)

    So, Abraham obeyed and he went.

    The blessings didn’t come before Abraham moved—they came after his obedience. That’s the pattern we see throughout Scripture. When we obey and take the step of faith, even when we can’t see the whole picture, God responds. He transforms us in the process.

    And so, I leave you with this simple reminder:
    that blessings come after obedience.
    Not instantly. Not always the way we imagined. But always, in God’s time and way.