Have you ever done one of those flower arrangement classes?

The ones where they sit you at a long table, lay out dozens of individual flower stems in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and then show you how to make the arrangement in the middle, step by step?

I’ve had the privilege of attending a handful of these types of classes now, and I love a few different things about these classes.

For one, I appreciate the way the instructor typically blends giving attendees the freedom to be creative with providing the structured instructions those of us who are not, shall we say, aesthetically gifted, might need.

I also enjoy the communal element, as I’ve always done these classes with loved ones- my mom, my sisters, my friends.

Thrice now, once for my own wedding and twice for friends’, I’ve gotten to gather with a huge group of gals on a floral mission to make all of the bouquets, corsages, boutiniers, and centerpieces for our weddings.

For mine, I was humbled by my friends’ and family members’ willingness to help me get ready for the big day (and save some money via DIY), especially for those self-proclaimed “not artsy” friends of mine (also the group I would consider myself part of!).

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I was blown away by the willingness of my friend Rachel to lead us in said flower-making endeavor, lending me her extensive knowledge and skill from working in the wedding floral industry for years.

Rachel walked me through every step of the process, beginning with gathering inspiration from me for what I was hoping the flowers would end up looking like, to setting my budget and letting me know realistic options within it, to sharing the golden life hack with me of pre-requesting a bulk order from Trader Joe’s. She guided me extensively, even hopping into my Amazon account to put exactly what supplies we’d need into my cart (anyone else not realize those gorgeous bridal bouquets are held together with copious amounts of floral tape and flower wire??), and running to Trader Joe’s super early the day before my wedding to pick out all the stems from what she had requested over the phone for me.

Rachel was a Godsend to me throughout that process, and watching her lead many of the women I love and admire most in crafting the most exquisite floral arrangements for my special day moved me to tears even now as I write this two full years later.

Not pictured- her infinitely gracious and tactful replies of things like, “That looks great! And you know, you could even add one more taller bloom there to even it out, and maybe another piece of greenery to make it a bit fuller” when we were trying our best, but clearly not arranging to her beautiful standards (usually directed to me!).

Something else not lost on me? It had never once occurred to me that one could make their own wedding florals until a friend led us through the process the day before her wedding, where she guided us bridesmaids through super fun flower arrangement “class” to make all of our bouquets and table centerpieces.

Who was that? You might wonder…Rachel, of course 🙂

Years before I even met my now-husband, I had the joyful privilege of serving as one of Rachel’s bridesmaids, and I loved every bit of that experience.

It was, in addition to my first time being a bridesmaid, a chance to meet some really cool gals, friends of Rachel’s from different seasons that I had never met before.

And, of course, I enjoyed our flower arranging and getting to play a small role in her big day.

If you’ve had a friend like Rachel, you know the power of this kind of friendship. The kind where your hearts and your faith values align, your desires for experiencing the beauty of the world and the people in it, but so do your organizational skills and desires for efficiency and logic. With Rachel, I’ve gotten to travel the world to spread God’s love and learn more about His presence, provision, and character, and I’ve gotten to call her when I wanted to talk through negotiating a new job offer, or when to realize it’s time to quit that same job a year later.

Having Rachel as a friend has felt a lot like when she was teaching us how to make wedding flower arrangements. She’s creative and flexible and adaptable, but can also provide structured thoughts and insightful feedback and wisdom from her practiced faith and lived experiences.

When my friend Morgan got married a few months ago, and a handful of us got together at a local flower shop to put together flowers for her wedding, I smiled inside to think about Rachel leading my friends in the same activity a year before.

As I reflected on how special both experiences were, I’m reminded of the power of committed community in accomplishing our goals. In all three instances, we were able to build everything in just a few hours that could’ve taken one floral expert a day to do by herself, even with more knowledge and experience. If any of us had opted out or stood around and not been committed to the outcome, both the experience and the end result would have been lacking.

I’m also mindful of the fact that in all 3 instances, we had an amazing teacher – someone to guide us through the steps while allowing us freedom and autonomy to infuse our own flavor, someone who had been in our shoes before and knew what to do.

Accomplishing your goal or vision is so much easier in community, with a guide. They can remind you of the foundation of what you’re pursuing and help you get there. They can encourage you, share their wisdom, and point you in the right direction.

When we are trying to seek and remember God’s presence in difficult times, doing it in community, preferably with a guide or two, can help immensely. I’ve lost count of the women who’ve shaped me, steering me towards God’s love in dark periods of life where He felt really, really far away. Like a flower instructor, they opened the space up for me to explore what was happening in a way that made sense to me, while also providing some guardrails and markers for how to know if I was still on the right path.

If you find yourself in a rough patch right now, maybe even questioning God’s goodness in whatever you are going through, please hear this: you don’t have to go through it alone.

I pray that this week, you might find other gals to purse the Lord with, who can walk and build with you during difficult times.

Grab some friends, find a guide if you can, and build your flowers together. “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬.

I can’t wait to see what we’re able to build together!