I love nature!! Rocks, birds and flowers are the things that grab my attention. Rocks were brought home from many states (when Ken and I travelled); from the North Shore and a hand picked trailer load from a farm near Princeton. They all surround many flower beds in my yard.
The birds fly free everywhere.
The flowers are planted after being purchased or are received as gifts. Sometimes they come as a surprise gift from the birds!
My daughter-in-law, Carrie, loves flower gardening as much as I do, so we swap and share. About four years ago, she was given some "extra plants" from a neighbor. She gladly took them - and gave me some she didn't want or didn't care for. Of course I gladly accepted them. I asked her what they were - some I knew and some I didn't. She informed me of the ones she remembered, but one she couldn't think of, but had a suspicion it was a clump of weeds that were included by mistake. The clumps were nice and green and healthy, so I planted the "possible weeds." These weeds grew nicely and filled a nice spot the flower bed. It grew every year. Last year I invited my real garden friend to come over and identify these lovely green plants for me. She looked at them for some time, then finally she grinned and said, "Kaye, I really think they're just weeds, pull them up and trash them." But how could anyone trash them? I couldn't, so I let them stay in my flower bed - such beautiful weeds! I called them my "Carrie plants."
One morning last week I prayed, "Surprise Me God" and left the answer to come from Him. Later that day I was walking the sidewalk close to the flower bed where my mystery "Carrie plants" were growing, checking all the plants that were beginning to come up. My eyes immediately noted that somehow my "Carrie" plant was different, so I went into the flower bed to look closely.
What a surprise I got!! It was loaded with beautiful, delicate, blue/purple bell shaped flower clusters around the base of the leaves close to the ground. Thank you, God, for a beautiful surprise, but what are they??
I quickly got my favorite flower guide book and looked for the wildflower section. There it was! My Carrie plant! Wow, was I excited! Now I know what it is - wild ginger!! How happy I am that I didn't pull it out and trash it.
God's surprise for me that day reminded me that even though we may look like weeds and should be discarded, the Lord has made us in His image and we are all beautiful in His eyes. He has a purpose for each of us. We are to look for the beauty in others, even though we may not find it as soon as we should.
Lord, give us patience and wisdom!
Amen
