A few years back, I had a whole parade of caladiums brightening up my garden. But over time, they slowly faded away, like that friend who says they’ll call you back and never does. After a while, I figured the caladiums had given up for good. Last year, I got curious about snake plants—those “oxygen-boosting” little troopers. So, I planted a few in my old caladium pots and brought most of them indoors, except one pot I kept outside because it wasn’t winning any design awards.

Then, just a few days ago, I strolled past that pot and stopped dead in my tracks. There it was: a single caladium stalk, standing tall and proud among the snake plants as it had just pulled off the ultimate comeback tour. Not only was it back, but when I looked closer, another stalk was pushing up through the soil too. My first thought? “How did you survive in there with all those snake plant roots?” This caladium had been out of sight, buried, and totally overlooked—and yet, here it was, alive and thriving. I had thought it was a goner, but really, it was just taking a beauty nap.

This little surprise reminded me of the story of Lazarus in John 11. To everyone around him, Lazarus was beyond hope, but to Jesus, he was just “on pause,” waiting for the right moment to rise.

We’ve all got something in our lives that feels as far gone as those caladiums once did. Maybe it’s a dream you buried because it seemed impossible, a relationship that feels too broken to fix, or a goal that just seems out of reach. Sometimes, we even pile on other “snake plants” of worry and busyness over it. But here’s the thing: even if we think something’s over, God might just be setting it up for a comeback. So, let that old hope stay planted in God’s soil, even if it feels like nothing’s happening. Pray over it, keep the faith, and let God work in His time. You never know when that “dead” dream will suddenly pop up, looking like it never missed a beat.

May God bless you with a surprise comeback today!

Prayer

Lord, I give You all those dreams and situations that seem long gone. Thank You for being the God of comebacks. Help me trust Your timing, even when nothing’s happening. I’m waiting expectantly to see what You’ll resurrect next. In Jesus’ name, Amen.