Beware! Sweetness can sneak up on us anywhere. We can find it where we least expect it or where we have wrongly assumed it can’t or won’t be found. And we don’t even realize we’ve assumed that—until we’re literally surprised to find out otherwise.
Shocked would probably be more accurate.
I knew of a troubled girl years ago who had a rough upbringing. Her parents had divorced and her father (what is the kind way to say this?) was a “piece of work.” So the girl acted-out, had some brushes with the law and ran away at one point. Every update that came along was more bad news.
And without even knowing it, I had put a white chalk mark “X” on her name and yellow crime scene tape around it. Then, come to find out all these years later, she’s happily married. What??? But even that wasn’t the sweetest part.
She wore her mother’s wedding dress.
Yes, she did. And she didn’t just wear it. She had it altered so she could wear it. It meant that much to her. Something very good and very special had to have been happening all along for a girl to want to do that.
Then it hit me.
I had not only put an “X” over that girl, but the whole family! Negative news had colored my whole perspective and made it ALL negative. Yet, good was happening all along—right under my nose.
Good is happening under our noses all along, every day. Negative news can’t stop it and doesn’t cause it not to exist. It does exist. And like a little flower pushing its way up through a crack in the concrete, may we be just as persistent to unflinchingly focus on the beauty and existence of the flower, not be preoccupied with examining the concrete surrounding it.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8 (ESV)
This is not a suggestion. We are being told to focus on the flower, not the concrete. Because God knows, the concrete will weigh us down and crush our spirit. He knows we will drown ourselves in the concrete shoes of bad news, if we continue to focus on it.
Yes, the concrete exists. Yes, it is hard and expansive. But it is also cracked and broken. So the flowers will keep popping up. They can’t be stopped. Goodness can’t be stopped. God can’t be stopped. And though any goodness may seem small and fragile next to all the concrete, it is alive and well and germinating under the surface over and over again in the never-ending cycle of life. Yes, never-ending.
Flowers can’t be stopped.
I suggest we trust the never-ending Source of flowers with the concrete, pray for more and more and more cracks, and start gathering as many vases as we can. (We can start with all the vases we have stashed for someday in the cabinets that no one can reach, like above the oven and refrigerator! Today is the day!)
He will fill as many as we bring Him. 🖤
Putting In a Good Word 