Gardenia Lessons

I recently left a mason jar of gardenias on the kitchen counter. Mama was enchanted when she saw them and wanted to know where I had picked them. When I told her they came from the bush in front of the barn, she commented that she was surprised such perfectly formed flowers had come from that bush.

She planted it many years ago in an effort to spruce up the barn, but with the inability to get water to it, she eventually left it to fend for itself. It’s in a tough spot to bloom. There are briars and vines everywhere. Daddy cuts the briars out of it every now and then, but for the most part, it’s on its own.

One of my favorite things to do in the summer time has always been to pick flowers and bring some of God’s handiwork indoors to enjoy. This current season that I find myself walking through, has me being very intentional about seeking and focusing on the beauty around me, so when I saw that particular gardenia blooming, I went to investigate further.

Honestly, the fact that it was surrounded by overgrowth, fire ant beds and some questionable holes, made it all the more enticing. “Seek and you will find;” was a verse that kept running through my head.  My perseverance paid off. The bush was covered with blooms and buds and I snipped away enjoying the bonus of the intoxicatingly sweet smell of those pristine white blossoms.

When I returned from being out of town for a couple of days, Mama had put together her own arrangement  of fresh blooms in the kitchen as well as  a mason jar of them for me. I smiled.

My intentional search for beauty had encouraged her to do the same.

Later, as I sat admiring those flowers and God’s excellent craftmanship, (I mean, beauty and scent that comes from dirt!), I was reminded that our faith walk is also a call to intentionally seek His beauty, His will and His voice.  Just like those gardenias, when we seek Him, we will find Him and when we find Him, if we are brave enough to share, the people around us will naturally do the same.

An old gardenia bush reminded me that when we are willing to seek and share, we are often rewarded with more than we give. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂