I heard a story about a man who was imprisoned during Napoleon’s reign.

While sulking in his dungeon one day, he etched on the wall the words “Nobody Cares”.

A few weeks later, through a crack in the dungeon floor, a little green shoot sprang forth, reaching toward the tiny ray of sunlight that came from his small prison cell window.

The prisoner began giving a portion of his daily water to the little shoot and it began to grow.

One morning the man awoke to a beautiful flower.

A tear rolling down his face, he crossed out the words, “Nobody Cares” and replaced them with “God Cares.”

The story goes on to tell that his devotion to the flower was reported to the Empress Josephine. She was so very moved that she convinced Napoleon to set the man free.

How many times do we feel like “Nobody Cares”?

God has planted little shoots of hope in each and every one of our difficult circumstances. Do you know that?

Perhaps we’re stepping on them, not even noticing they exist.

Perhaps we’re pulling the shoots before they spring forth into beautiful flowers.

God wants us to be released from our prisons of despair.

Look around. Be encouraged and see what God has planted since the beginning of time especially for us today.

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:13

–by George Whitten