What Blossoms After Letting Go
A Reflection by Tameka Jackson Del Gavio
What Blossoms After Letting Go
Where in your life are you holding onto something that no longer brings life, and what might become possible if you released it?
About a year ago, I decided to have a tree cut down in my backyard that had not flowered in over thirteen years. It had become little more than a tangled cluster of sticks, lifeless and unyielding. I cut it down to a stump, thinking that was the end of its story.
A few months later, while walking through my yard, I noticed something that wowed me: tiny green leaves sprouting from the side of the stump. I paused in awe of this quiet resurrection. What had seemed dead and barren was now showing signs of new life. Over the next several months, I leaned into this wonder with curiosity, taking time to carefully notice its growth and simply witness it. Little by little, I watched the leaves multiply, stems reaching upward until they stood as tall as my six-foot fence! This “little stump” became a reminder to slow down and truly notice life unfolding.
This past June, about a year after the tree was cut down, I noticed another miracle. This time it carried even more significance because of the timing. June has always been a tender month for me, as it marks the anniversary of my father’s passing. During this season, my grief is often heightened, yet gratitude remains a steady companion as I reflect on his love and legacy. So, on this June day, as I sat in my yard and gazed toward the stump, I gasped. A brilliant purple flower, nearly six inches long, had bloomed. I hadn’t seen it forming, yet there it was, radiant and alive. Curious to learn more, I did some research and discovered it was a butterfly bush. Instantly, tears filled my eyes. Butterflies have always been a symbol for me of my father’s presence, and purple was always his color.
In that moment, I felt as if heaven had reached down and left a message just for me. I heard my father’s spirit reminding me that sometimes we must let go of what no longer serves us to make room for what God wants to grow. What feels like an ending can be the soil of rebirth.
What amazed me most was discovering that the original tree had never been a butterfly bush at all. Once cut down, something in its environment changed, and it became open to new life, new pollination. Out of what was once barren, God brought forth something entirely new. It was a living reminder that when we surrender, God can take what remains and create beauty beyond what we imagined.
By the end of summer, the bush was overflowing with more than fifty blossoms. Each one felt like a whisper from my dad, a quiet assurance that love never dies. It simply transforms. Faith, after all, is trusting how even in what looks like loss, God is already preparing something beautiful to bloom.
During this time of Advent, as we prepare for the birth of Christ and notice what may be birthing in ourselves, where might there be a “butterfly bush” waiting to grow in your life? What are you being called to release so that God can bring something new to life within you? Perhaps this is your gentle Divine nudge to take that leap of faith; to trust that the letting go is not an ending, but an opening. And as you take that first courageous step, hold close God’s promise in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Let go, and let God bring forth your bloom.
Tameka is part of our Sacred Self, Sacred Community program starting in January.
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If you are drawn to learn more about growing in awareness of the sacred within yourself and community, I hope you will come to our last information meeting December 13th, for our new program “Sacred Self, Sacred Community.”
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Where is a butterfly bush waiting to grow in your life? What are some Advent practices you would like to do to give you time to reflect on this season of hope?