Flowers and Rain

Today I was enjoying one of my favorite pastimes: walking in the rain (my husband considers this odd but I since I don’t consider golf the epiphany of normal, I guess we are even).   As I moseyed around the house, I enjoyed the last blooming flowers of the season:  one perfect pink rose, two pansies snuggled against a thorny stem and a line of black-eyed Susans in various stages of survival. Getting soaked from above as my flip-flops slipped on the wet grass, I understood why John thinks his wife is a little weird.  Anyway, as I soaked up the beauty of these flowers, I was reminded that everything living develops, thrives, and withers in its own time in its own way. 


I captured this picture of a pink rose with a cute green worm snuggled inside the petals.  It reminded me of how easily we let seemingly harmless things into our lives that, nibble by nibble, devour us. I believe the Bible calls these “little foxes” (Song of Solomon, 2:15. NIV).  I could have removed the worm and preserved the rose’s life a little longer, but honestly, I didn't want to.  I’m sure that in a day or two, my pretty pink rose will be worm food and not very attractive but why mess up a good thing when both the worm and the rose seemed okay?

Next to the rose were these two pansies.  And for the record, if anyone refers to you as a pansy, smile and say thank you here is why:  pansies are hearty little things which thrive anywhere, they do not mind being planted in a flowerbed because they will take it upon themselves to branch out wherever they please!  Not too many plants can honestly do that!  Some of the most beautiful clusters of flowers in my flowerbed this year were independent pansies which  bloomed where they were planted as well as wherever the wind blew them, thriving equally here and there.  But my favorite flowers, the black-eyed Susans had a lot to say today, I think they were tempting me to stay outside a bit longer!


As I made my way around the house, I knew I would find inspiration from these hearty black-eyed girls. In their final glory days of summer some were dead, others were withering, and yet others were thriving…all three stages of life on one stalk!  Sort of like us:  we are here together in varying stages, with different views of life and different ideas on how to deal with what we have been given.  Personally, there have been times when I have felt withered and next to spiritual death yet somehow found the strength to go on, most of us have been there I’m sure…and life goes on…

As I am writing this post watching the rain splatter the ground, I am once again reminded that life is daily, sunshine follows rain, rainbows are a promise, and next summer, after what surely looks like physical death, my flowers will pop up and bloom where they are planted, not caring how they got there.  

Friends and Neighbors keep on moving forward, focus on your strengths, manage your weaknesses, and trust God in all stages of life.

Blessings in Christ – Coach Kelly



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