A few months ago a friend of mine took me to a greenhouse. Everywhere I looked was splendor. There were flowers spilling from hundreds of baskets. The mental pictures I took that day are burned into my mind's eye. Color, texture, shape, aroma...seemingly dripping from every atom in the space. It captured my imagination, my heart, my creativity, my essence.
My "thumb" isn't black but it's not necessarily green either. I can successfully keep house plants alive. I can't tell you what kind of plant it is or anything about it's growth cycle, etc..... but I can keep it green. I'm pretty pleased that I have that power.
I quite enjoy the changing of seasons, and I particularly enjoy spring into summer. I love to wander in the garden section of Walmart. If that it itself doesn't prove my lack of passion for gardening, I'm not sure what would. Anyway..... I always find myself drawn to the seed packets. A couple of years ago I bought packets for several varieties of flowers. For two years they were just part of the odd collection of small pots, potting soil, watering cans, twist ties, etc that are on a shelf on the back porch.
I was so inspired by my trip to the greenhouse that I decided to put some flower seeds in dirt and water them regularly just to see what would happen. I didn't read or study the types of flowers. I didn't spend mental energy I didn't have. I just put seeds in dirt and added water on a regular basis.
It has been a couple of months, but I am now the proud Momma of 2 small marigolds. I don't have a crop. I don't have an elaborate or particularly colorful display or even anything to brag about. I am, however, pleased as punch with my little flowers. Here's one of them. Isn't she precious?
Many, many things have been on my mind lately. I was thinking today about that marigold. In her case, (seed + dirt + water + sunlight + time = what she was created to be). I can't help but consider (? = what I am created to be). For most of my life I was pretty sure I had that figured out. Recently, though, I've discovered that I have been operating under a false equation. Little Miss Marigold didn't take over the process and demand Kool-Aid and shade instead of water and sunlight. She doesn't skip around telling people she's night-blooming jasmine. She's a happy marigold and she bloomed with precision exactly when she was supposed to. To me, that simplicity is profound. It also makes perfect sense.The same God that created Miss Marigold's seed also created me. (Psalm 139:13-16) She didn't toil an strive to become who she is. She is because her Creator said she would be. The same holds true for me. I spend too much time making life more complicated than it needs to be. I need to learn to rest, believe, and trust. Then, I will bloom with precision exactly when I'm supposed to.
