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| Photo by Catherine Castle |
“Nevertheless, there are good things found in thee.” 2
Chronicles 19:3
We’ve been traveling a lot this summer to various locations
across the United States. As we sped down the grey strip of highway on our last
trip to Missouri, I couldn’t help but notice the wildflowers along the road brightening
the green landscape. White Queen Anne’s lace frosted the hollows, and waving
green stems dotted with tiny blue and yellow flowers covered the edge of the road.
Plate-sized white blooms, resembling hibiscus, trailed over fences and climbed corn
stalks, obviously weeds to the farmers and very out of place in the gigantic
corn fields sporting yellow tassels.
I couldn’t identify the weedy blue and yellow wildflowers,
but I know they, along with the Queen Anne’s lace, are not things most
gardeners cultivate in their gardens. In fact, we try to eradicate such things
from our home landscapes. Yet, all these flowers are beautiful in drifts along
the road and I love to look at them.
Like a gardener who wants an immaculately groomed flowerbed,
God couldn’t tolerate the weeds of sin in his garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve
disobeyed and blighted the landscape with sin, God yanked them out of his
unspoiled garden and tossed them outside the fence. Even though they were no longer
inside the boundaries of the garden gates, God still saw Adam’s and Eve’s, and
ultimately our, potential for beauty. Through Christ’s sacrifice, He provided a
way for us all to become part of his garden once again.
As I admired the weedy, flower-filled berms and hollows
along the roadway, I whispered a “Thank you,” to God for being able to see the
beauty of weeds in bloom. Because, except for the grace of God, I am only a
weed along the roadside, waiting for a home in a perfect garden of Eden.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful analogy! The beauty of God's gifts can certainly be seen all around us, even in the "weeds".
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Britney. It's amazing to me, sometimes, how beautiful a flowering weed can be.
DeleteLong ago, Ithought of Queen Anne's lace as JUST a weed. Now I can see the beauty of its delicate white flower. I still don't want it growing in my blackberries and raspbarries, but it's easier to appreciate from a distance. Even the dreaded dandelion can be beautiful in a farrow field. :)
ReplyDeleteQueen Anne's lace makes a delicate filler in a bouquet. It reminds me a bit of Yarrow.
DeleteIf we take a moment to take in everthing around us, we can see beautiful where we may never have seen it before. God richly blesses us.
ReplyDeleteAmen to that!
DeleteUnfortunately, we were whizzing by too quickly to see any details of the small, blue flowers, other than they were quite abundant along the roadside. I'll have to go look chicory up and see it there might be any resemblance. I have a thing for identifying weeds as well as flowers. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this truly beautiful gift!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Calico. I'm glad you enjoyed the devotion.
ReplyDeleteI've tried, to no avail, to convince my husband that weeds have a place. They don't have to be sprayed to death.
ReplyDeleteMartha, while I enjoy them afield, I'm not fond of them in the middle of the flower bed and when possible I prefer to pull them. There's something satisfying about a just weeded row.
DeleteIf it weren't for weeds, I'd have no flowers at all. I love the primroses that grow alongside the road and those little blue flowers you wrote about. Also love your analogy.
ReplyDelete