A Flower!!!

Two years ago on the last day of summer camp my unit leader at the Word of Life Ranch gave all my co-counselors and I a small flowerpot filled with an African Violet. At that time, it had a few beautiful flowers on it (in case you didn't know, violets are my favorite flowers :D).

Well, my grandma had told me that violets like sun so I put that flowerpot in the sunniest place in my room - on top of my chest of drawers in the corner but close to the window. I watered it - but not too faithfully. And I cut off the brown leaves. But that poor plant dropped its flowers one by one and never produced any more for so long that I gave up hope of its ever blooming again.

But then we moved and the sunniest place was on top of a bookshelf directly in front of the window. Now it was getting direct sunlight almost all day long and many of the leaves turned brown and died. Was it too much sun, perhaps?

After transplanting it into a much larger flowerpot, pruning all those dead leaves, and beginning to faithfully water it and turn it so that it would get the right amounts of sun all the way around, I settled into a habit of caring for it while it settled into a habit of living very deeply green although devoid of flowers. No more flowers on that plant! But at least it was something pretty and green and alive and growing to take care of.

But just the other day - a tiny purple bud appeared among the leaves! Flowers again! It made my day. :)

Have you ever thought of God's care of us as that of a Master-Gardener of His garden? It is such a bitter-sweet thought. Sweet because He takes such good, gentle care of us, His plants, preparing us to produce flowers and fruits for His glory and to bless others who may see or taste them. Bitter because we are live plants with wills of our own and I know just how willful I can be at times, resisting the kind working of my Savior in my life. And even sweeter because He is so patient and never gives up no matter how willful I am; and sweeter because He WILL produce His flowers and fruits in my life even though I don't deserve His taking notice of me at all.