Daffodils represent forgiveness, new beginnings and a rebirth. Daffodils are grown from bulbs and readily return each spring, signifying the end of winter and a new season beginning. They also represent happiness and are meant to be given in a bouquet, as giving a single daffodil denotes misfortune. To tell someone “I’m sorry” or “Please forgive me,” give them a bouquet of daffodils. In doing so, you are telling them that you wish to put away the past and begin a new season that is full of happiness.
When you give someone a bouquet of yellow daffodils, it usually symbolizes that you forgive them for what they have done.
God has given me my bouquet of yellow daffodils.
Between training camp and launch- it was very hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that i was actually going on the world race, packing up all my belongings into a 65 liter pack and saying goodbye to everything that was “comfortable”. Every time someone would donate to my trip I would feel guilty, because I’m not a saint, I still had things to work through with God…everyone does. I kept thinking, how am I going to be the voice of God when I’ve done such crappy things in my life. I asked God why He was letting me go, I asked Him to give me a sign that if this it really what He wants me to do He needed to make it very clear.
When launch rolled around- I still didn’t have my sign. I decided that God probably wasn’t going to give me a sign and that I was just going to have to figure it out by myself. So, I put on a smile and had to remind myself every 2 seconds that this is what my purpose is, this is what I’m supposed to do and that Jesus loves me no matter what…but I still wanted my darn sign. Psalm 17:6 says, “ I have called upon thee, for thou will hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.” So I knew He could hear me. I just didn’t understand why He wasn’t answering.
The first night of launch we received our prophetic key necklaces that we had ordered months before, opening the cute little drawstring pouch it came in, my first thoughts were, “I bet it says GO, or CHOSEN, maybe even SERVE” because those were what everyone else was getting. I was wrong. Mine said, FORGIVEN. I broke down. He heard me. There I had it…
M Y // F I R S T // S I G N
Then, After about 2 weeks in Thailand- someone wrote people names on post-it notes with a prophetic word for them and put them on the doors of our rooms while everyone was sleeping. No one saw my key because I always kept it under my shirt. My post it note? FORGIVEN on a yellow post-it. No one else’s word matched their keys and they all had blue and pink and orange post-its. Why is the yellow important? In the Bible, Yellow is associated with fire, which in turn, has always been associated with the purification process. God was telling me that all my sins were washed away and that I was becoming pure again in his eyes.
MY // SECOND // SIGN
A few blocks from our hostel, there is a night market. We go there almost every night, but one night was more special than the others. I was there with Abbie and Kayla, two of my team mates. We looked at almost everything that night. The handmade journals, elephant pants, hand woven purses, jewelry, and a lot of food. They got some stuff but nothing caught my eye, except for a little table in the corner of the market as we were leaving. The little man was selling sterling silver rings and charms. Just a bunch of little random stuff. Then I saw he had stamps, a perfect gift to send home in letters. I was digging through them and found it, out of all of the King faced and temple stamps in the bin there it was- A YELLOW DAFFODIL stamp. My new beginning.
MY // THIRD // SIGN
Song of Solomon 2:11-12,”For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.”
This verse represents my new beginning. My winter is in the past, my rain is gone. Only flowers and the singing of birds fill me.
God needed me to be patient to hear his voice. I didn’t hear it right away but when I did it was loud and clear. I am FORGIVEN. I am supposed to be here.
I definitely did not write enough blogs the first month, so I promise to be better in the upcoming months :)I am still $4,000 short of my January deadline! If I don’t meet this deadline I have to come home and that would really stink…
If you feel called to donate please pray about it and If the Lord tells you, “YES! DONATE TO JOEY” you can do so by clicking the donate button at the top of my blog, VENMO @Joey-Filo, or you can give cash/check to my parents (Chris & Julie)!!
Please continue to pray for me and my team as we start a new ministry tomorrow (blog will be out next week)!
Love and Blessings,
Joey
