fresh flowers for August 5

A Bouquet for Today
©2005, Lani Wiens
a fresh flowers original

There are many little flowers that have come my way this week. So I thought I’d send you a bouquet today. Hope you are all having a marvellous summer…

Flower #1

My little girl needs a tissue as we are driving down the road towards a day at the beach. Knowing I have no tissue in my purse (the brand new red one – hee hee) and that there isn’t any in the glove compartment I hand her the closest equivalent that I can find, a dried out, but clean, baby wipe. She flips. She turns into the drama queen and insists that I check out my purse and the glove box. I assure her that this is pointless because I am very aware of the contents of the purse and the glove box. She carries on. As calmly as I possibly can I assure her once again that I can be trusted and at this moment in time the baby wipe is all I can do.

I am struck by my own whining, crying and carrying on when God has already assured me that this is what is available for the moment and I better make the best of it. What I have in my hand may not be what I want or even the best tool for the job but it does what’s necessary and it’s better than wiping snot on my sleeve.

Flower #2

Son #2 has a bad habit of repeating himself. Especially when there is something that he really wants. On the same road trip as above he decided he is hungry and chips are the only thing that will satisfy him. We tell him he’ll have to wait. There are no stores between home and the beach. Grandma may have chips along but we’ll have to wait and see, at any rate, Grandma is bringing the food and we’ll have to be grateful for what we get, etc, etc etc. None of our responses are good enough and he keeps asking what we cannot possibly give him. We are not the source of food this day, we can’t procure food for him and the incessant begging is making us want to withhold anything that might be available. When Grandpa and Grandma arrive at the beach the first thing Grandpa does, not knowing any of this, is pull out a bag of chips. Does son #2 realize or care that they’re there? Nope, doesn’t even notice as he is caught up in the joy of being at the beach, seeing the relatives, and all that. Not until much later does he realize that what he asked for was given and he almost missed it.

Do I do this? Naaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwww, she says as she hides her face in shame. ‘Nuff said.

Flower #3

I had the honour of being a bridesmaid for my friend this weekend. Her husband passed away suddenly three and a half years ago. From that time she has steadily held to a promise that God gave her shortly after her husband died. We got to witness the fruit of her perseverance on Monday. Holding on when things look exactly the opposite of what you’re believing for. Persevering in prayer. Going beyond the point of giving up and not giving up. These are things that I can learn from my friend.

Flower #4

Sometimes God doesn’t make things clear in the way you think He should. Sometimes you just need to keep walking step by step, moment by moment and as you do the next flower in the bouquet pops up. We are learning so much from our house adventure that I can hardly believe it. I am grateful for the lessons that I am learning. My deep desire is that I will ‘get it’. Whatever it is that God is trying to teach me as He shapes and moulds my character to look more like Jesus is what I want and desire more than anything else.

Until next time have a flower filled week