Today I ran across one of those silly memes on Facebook. It said: “Shoutout to all the plants growing through concrete.” At first I chuckled just a little. Then I thought about it a bit more. Pardon the slight pun, but there’s much more to this meme than what’s on the surface.

You’ve probably been walking down a street and seen them. There are those persistent plants that don’t give up. Where concrete would stop a mere mortal, a weed, plant, or tree pushes toward the light and grows through a hole or crack in the concrete. They don’t give up. They move onward and upward.

I began to think about the people I know that exemplify this metaphor in real life:

• The two women who’ve lost their husbands within the past couple of years and have now regained their happiness. They have become the ones who are helping others.
• The mom who struggles with a child who has gone down a path no parent would ever want. She soldiers on with faith and hope.
• The man who works and travels more days and hours than I can imagine and has a newfound medical issue. Yet he volunteers more hours and gives more to other people than almost anyone I know.
• The woman who grieves family issues that she should never have to. For decades she has been teaching young students not only the Three R’s, but also the love and hope of Jesus.
• The couple that is raising three children and working three full time jobs. Still, they find the time to lead two Bible studies a week.

It’s hard to find a reason why these people have to face the struggles, trials, or even busyness that they do. But it’s not as hard to see from where there strength comes. It comes from a Rock that is far stronger than any concrete. It’s the Rock that is their foundation. That Rock is more firm than any trial this life could ever offer.

Their lives demonstrate it. And I, for one, am thankful that I get to witness it. Sometimes I stand in awe. They have no idea what an inspiration they are to me.

Whom do you know that pushes through the concrete of life?