We can all guess how long Jude lasted.
He actually tried to claw his way up on stage in front of the faculty during the second song (yup, just a LITTLE humiliating), so we had to make a quick exit.
We didn't have any other plans that morning so we took a chilly stroll through campus waiting on daddy to finish.
I let Jude take the lead as he meandered between the sidewalks and buildings. We quickly found ourselves in front of the main admin. building where there is a nice sized water fountain surrounded by a raised garden which is always adorned with the most beautiful seasonal flowers and colors.
As we walked up to the water fountain Jude headed straight toward the bright red blooms.
They were perfect.
No longer than two minutes passed before one of the maintenance workers came driving up in one of his little carts. He immediately hopped out and began ripping and pulling out those beautiful flowers.
Jude just stood there staring in amazement.
I took a few steps back and just watched, mouth opened in shock, at what I was witnessing.
I couldn't help but feel offended.
1-this guy clearly had no idea how much flowers cost or he would be carefully removing them from the ground to either re-plant in his own yard or to at least give to his wife in an antique mason jar (because we all know that flowers are the prettiest in old-looking glass jars)!
2-it's not like these flowers were on their way out! They were beautiful. In FULL bloom. Still thriving! Perfect.
I continued to back up until I reached the sidewalk to sit down and just watch this guy as he destroyed this beautiful garden. Ripping every single plant up out of the ground until all that was left was the soil and strewn leaves and pedals all over the garden and surrounding area.
After the worker finished his task he jumped up on his cart and drove off just as quickly as he had come. It didn't take Jude long to make his way back to the garden area and climb up in the middle of the mess.
He kind of just stood there for a few minutes trying to process what had just happened.
Then he bent down and started picking up the beautiful red pedals as if they were treasures.
His hands were so full of the pretty pedals that he couldn't hold anymore.
But then he spotted something better than the broken pedals.
The worker had missed one beautiful stem that was still completely intact and Jude was happy to retrieve it and gift it to his wide-eyed mama.
I'm not much of a gardener, so I can't speak for this process, but I can tell you that the Lord nudged my heart in this very moment.
Reminding me that sometimes he will allow the mess to be made of our pretty little lives in order to cultivate our hearts. In order to prepare us. In order to make way for something much more beautiful. The beautiful blooms that were standing before would never stand a chance in the cold, bitter season ahead and they needed to go. The soil needed some work. Some more seeds needed planting.
We have to be willing to let go of our pretty little lives in order to be open handed for the better that is waiting right under the surface.
It's all part of the process.
And he promises to complete every process He begins in His children,
"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you
will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus."
Philippians 1:6
No comments:
Post a Comment