I reached up and placed the tiny flower delicately through a curved leaf of the dried rose. Stepping back, I admired the two flowers that now hung over my bed. These two flowers were different in so many ways, yet the same in meaning and importance. I contemplated the meaning behind them, and smiled as the stress of the day slid off me.
The first flower had a long stem that was thick and tough, which spoke of its strength and endurance. The flowers petals closed around a heart that was invisible to my eyes, keeping secret from me those things that I am not yet ready for. The flower was dried, and had yellow petals, which were rimmed with a faint red that had faded into brown. The change from red to brown showed the progression of beauty that transformed over time into something new and special. I received this flower a few days into the beginning of fall quarter. On it was attached a note that read, �Enthusiasm is contagious, start an epidemic�.
The second flower had a short pliable stem that easily turned this way and that. This stem was less graceful, yet it showed a different type of strength. The flowers flexibility said that no matter what happened, if you�re bendable, you won�t break. The flower was made up of a cluster of smaller flowers all attached to the top of the stem. Each of these smaller flowers had a center of bright yellow and four white petals; they bundled together into a circle that had depth and simplicity all at once. This flower had not yet dried, because I had just received it that day. It was a gift from a stranger with the simple words, �This is for you�.
Though I received them at different times and with different words, and though they are totally different types of flowers, they were both gifts from my God. They were little love notes to tell me that God was there, approved of and loves me. The first flower told me that I was where God wanted me to be; the second told me that God hadn�t forsaken me during a horrible day. The bible says, �Some trust in horses, some trust in chariots, but I will trust in the Lord God.� My two flowers remind me to be strong and trust in God. They remind me that at some points I need to stand firm in my faith, at other times I need to be flexible and bend to the will of God. These flowers are a reminder that God doesn�t always speak in a loud voice, or through flashy signs, sometimes he sends the smallest thing to show true comfort in an otherwise hectic world. These flowers represent a call to be His child and remember the lessons he teaches every day. After placing the new flower in it�s new home I turned and left the room, ready to face the rest of the day. |
