one single bloom
A day or so before the first hard frost of the year, I was gazing out my kitchen window – as some of us older folks are apt to do – and I espied a treat for my eyes. Right at the base of the security light pole and growing in the very corner of my small, yearly, zinnia bed was a single plant with a beautiful red bloom.
From my vantage point it was almost as if it was peering at me from behind the pole and saying, “look at me, look at me”, much like a child would tell its parents as they showed them their accomplishments. And look I did and blessed I was at this emotionally invigorating sight.
It did occur to me that I was a bit like this plant’s parent in a way. I saw to it that it was raised up to a point and pretty much ignored it after that until it did something really good. Then I was proud until it did something not so good – like die, which is what it did after the frost.
Then came the busy Thanksgiving season with the celebrations thereof. These were grand and glorious events of food, fellowship and laughter. We were warmed emotionally but a bit tired physically when it was all over.
Here it is the week after and things are cleaned up and getting back to normal. Then it was the garden’s turn to get spiffied up. The only thing growing now is some greens and a bunch of hardy, aggravating, weeds. My thought about planting in the fall for winter was that the weeds wouldn’t be as annoying. But I found out that weeds do not take the winter off, just different ones grow during that time.
While hoeing, as well as moving some dirt around, it occurred to me that I needed to pick the few zinnia flower heads that were left to save the seed for next year’s flowers. Then I remembered the little red flower that cheered my day a few weeks before and set about to find it.
When I found it, I discovered that it was much smaller than the others – indicating that it had possibly grown from this year’s seed. Not only that, but it had grown only one single bloom. This was an even greater delight to me because I took it as a personal gift from God – that He created that one flower just for me to see – even though I did show it to my favorite wife.
The other zinnias had many flowers each but this small plant had only one. If it were like us humans, it would have been depressed that it wasn’t as big as the others, or didn’t have as many flowers. The lesson I received from this was that if I could only do one thing well, I would want to offer this one single “bloom” to my Savior as a gift to Him - and anyone He would choose to bless with it. ec
From my vantage point it was almost as if it was peering at me from behind the pole and saying, “look at me, look at me”, much like a child would tell its parents as they showed them their accomplishments. And look I did and blessed I was at this emotionally invigorating sight.
It did occur to me that I was a bit like this plant’s parent in a way. I saw to it that it was raised up to a point and pretty much ignored it after that until it did something really good. Then I was proud until it did something not so good – like die, which is what it did after the frost.
Then came the busy Thanksgiving season with the celebrations thereof. These were grand and glorious events of food, fellowship and laughter. We were warmed emotionally but a bit tired physically when it was all over.
Here it is the week after and things are cleaned up and getting back to normal. Then it was the garden’s turn to get spiffied up. The only thing growing now is some greens and a bunch of hardy, aggravating, weeds. My thought about planting in the fall for winter was that the weeds wouldn’t be as annoying. But I found out that weeds do not take the winter off, just different ones grow during that time.
While hoeing, as well as moving some dirt around, it occurred to me that I needed to pick the few zinnia flower heads that were left to save the seed for next year’s flowers. Then I remembered the little red flower that cheered my day a few weeks before and set about to find it.
When I found it, I discovered that it was much smaller than the others – indicating that it had possibly grown from this year’s seed. Not only that, but it had grown only one single bloom. This was an even greater delight to me because I took it as a personal gift from God – that He created that one flower just for me to see – even though I did show it to my favorite wife.
The other zinnias had many flowers each but this small plant had only one. If it were like us humans, it would have been depressed that it wasn’t as big as the others, or didn’t have as many flowers. The lesson I received from this was that if I could only do one thing well, I would want to offer this one single “bloom” to my Savior as a gift to Him - and anyone He would choose to bless with it. ec
posted by mreddie | 9:17 AM
9 Comments:
Thom - Thanks for the kind words. The greens are doing well, but I'm waiting for another frost or two to sweeten them up a bit.
evader - Great comment - good illustration. Thanks. ec
that was lovely. thanks for sharing.
I can't tell you how much my heart needed to hear that.
Thank you.
jay are - You are kind, thanks.
allison - I knew that was especially for at least one person, I just didn't know who. ec
This kind of observation and appreciation occurs when we no longer take anything for granted, when we are aware that everything counts. I've had this type of experience, up in Canada when I saw a poppy growing out of a crack in the cement, out in the country. On an old abandoned road. While hiking we saw it, and actually bent over and talked to it...
This reminds me so much of my Remarkable Rose.
AC - read the Remarkable Rose - my kind of story, thanks. ec
How amazing is the love of our LORD that HE sends us gifts that are so personal. I know we should not be suprised by these tokens of HIS love, but I always am. I cannot wait to share (like a giddy school-girl) HIS constant pursuit of me.
My friends introduced me to your BLOG and it is a constant blessing.
child@heart - thanks for your kind words. ec
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