One day in late autumn I went for a long walk in the woods to say goodbye to my favorite spots before the oncoming of winter. Much of nature was already headed to bed and the woods had taken on a lonely and empty appearance so different from the abundance of shades of green, dotted with wild flowers that had been blessing my walks since early spring.
It gave me a melancholy feeling because I knew that, though I loved winter, I would miss my walks in the woods. Discovering a weed that was still dark green and thriving despite the cooling weather, I saved a sprig to take home with me.
For two months, transplanted to an antique bottle on my kitchen windowsill, it brightened the window above my kitchen sink. Like all of America, the orchard outside my window was covered with sparkling snow. In America we were surviving our coldest winter on record.
Most of the plant life was buried deep beneath the snow, dormant until spring, and yet one little sprig boldly continued to grow.
Without my ever even noticing, a bud on my weed grew to fruition and became a little orange flower. It just appeared there one day, delicate and soft, beautiful in its uniqueness. I began to ponder why such wonderful things happen to bless us and fill our lives with joy. God goes to an awfully lot of trouble sometimes just to hold on to our hearts and keep us tender toward him. The details of our lives matter deeply to him.
Someday I will be like that little flower. Father and I will keep tending to the details of my life. I will keep on walking by faith and not by sight and suddenly, to my surprise, along my walk I will discover that He has taken me, a worthless bruised weed, and turned me into a precious flower, delicate and soft, beautiful in my uniqueness.
It gave me a melancholy feeling because I knew that, though I loved winter, I would miss my walks in the woods. Discovering a weed that was still dark green and thriving despite the cooling weather, I saved a sprig to take home with me.
For two months, transplanted to an antique bottle on my kitchen windowsill, it brightened the window above my kitchen sink. Like all of America, the orchard outside my window was covered with sparkling snow. In America we were surviving our coldest winter on record.
Most of the plant life was buried deep beneath the snow, dormant until spring, and yet one little sprig boldly continued to grow.
Without my ever even noticing, a bud on my weed grew to fruition and became a little orange flower. It just appeared there one day, delicate and soft, beautiful in its uniqueness. I began to ponder why such wonderful things happen to bless us and fill our lives with joy. God goes to an awfully lot of trouble sometimes just to hold on to our hearts and keep us tender toward him. The details of our lives matter deeply to him.
Someday I will be like that little flower. Father and I will keep tending to the details of my life. I will keep on walking by faith and not by sight and suddenly, to my surprise, along my walk I will discover that He has taken me, a worthless bruised weed, and turned me into a precious flower, delicate and soft, beautiful in my uniqueness.
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