Me or Vula i Doi – the Fijian equivalent of the Gregorian month of May – brings mild temperatures and soft rain, marking the end of Fiji’s cyclone season. In the traditional Fijian calendar, Me or Vula i Doi is named after the Doi shrub (Alphitonia spp), whose small white blossoms are symbols of the month..
The Doi shrub (Alphitonia) flowers in May
Photo by Kieran Tapsell
This is the traditional month when uvi leka and kawai (yam) mature and are ready to harvest. Kumala (sweet potato) and yabia (arrowroot) are plentiful, as are the tarawau tree fruits.
A month of flowers and fruits. An appropriate theme in our pursuit of deeper intimacy with God – bloom and be fruitful wherever we are, wherever you are planted.
It is easy to talk about pursuing this, doing that, but can we begin, this month at least, to look at where we are in our lives, in whatever capacity we serve, and do our best the way God has equipped us to?
Blossom
God created us to grow. Even in sickness, loss, disappointments, and even death. We learn from our experiences, those little mundane, scary, big moments of life, and grow.
Life isn’t random. It’s not one big coincidence filled with maybes and maybe-nots. Our life is where God has placed us, among family, friends, acquaintances, strangers, co-workers, bosses, fellow believers and non-believers. God uses our interactions and reactions with all these people to shape and refine our hearts.
God is our creator, source, purpose, and destination. He loves us too much to let us remain the same as when we first knew Him and received Him into our hearts. He desires that we grow. We don’t grow in a vacuum. As introverts, we prefer silence and solitude, but we also know that when left to ourselves, we tend to close ourselves off and remove ourselves from people. It’s okay to be silent and to be alone sometimes. We also have to know the benefits of being around other people. Allow ourselves time to listen to them, find out where they are in their relationship with God, and ask them their thoughts and opinions about life and the things of God.
Purpose
Have you ever tried to pray for someone you don’t like or are angry with? How about someone you hardly know or care about? It’s difficult, isn’t it? It is hard because you can’t lie to God in prayer. He sees your mask and will tear away the facade you’ve built up to protect your self-righteousness and self-pity. God wants you to outgrow your cocoon and turn toward His light and leading.
Yes, you’re an introvert, but remember this: you’re also called to witness to others about God. Do all your introvert-like things, but do it with your heart full of the love of God, who loves the whole world.
In your silence, offer a prayer of thanks and gratitude for everyone in your immediate circle and the strangers you met today. In your solitude, contemplate the depth and breadth of God’s love for you, your loved ones, the homeless in your town, and your fellow believers. Thank Him for the purpose He’s laid in your life and heart.
Illustration of moon phases iconography
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