The Flowers that Grow through the Cracks

Not long ago, I was reminded that it had been a year since my first blog post. I remembered the pride and determination I had felt when I started. This was what I had been called to do! After a few more posts, those feelings went away, and then self-doubt kicked in. Weeks went by and those turned to months. What had originally begun with the best of intentions fell by the wayside. I no longer felt like taking the time to write and got busy checking things off my to do list. What if no one read my posts? I felt scattered and distracted, balancing the life of a mom with the dream of being a writer. Who was I to try to speak my thoughts into the world when I could barely keep up with the day to day?

This morning, the house was quiet and I felt unsettled. By chance, I had time to myself. I started thinking about tasks that I been avoiding, ones I could power through. What about the basement? Or getting rid of some things we didn't need? As a mom, it's hard to turn your brain off to all of the constant needs and jobs to be done.

But today, something quietly whispered and I just... sat. I sat and thought of our family friend Margie, who recently passed away unexpectedly. A couple weeks ago, friends from all over the country came and paid their respects to this wonderful lady. Margie, the kind soul who took the time each day to connect with God and shine that light on others. I'm sure she always had a long to do list, but used her life to enrich the world, whether it was with her preschool class (she had been my first teacher many years ago), or with her friends, children, and grandsons. At her funeral, we didn't talk about how her house was clean, or how she kept on top of laundry. We talked about how special she made everyone feel and how she saw the world's beauty when others didn't.

Shortly before her untimely passing, she wrote, "The bright moon woke me up early this morning. I felt hot so I opened the window to hear the locust and crickets singing and birds chatting to one another. What are they saying? Wake up world, see the beauty and hear our music. God is singing with us and wishes you to know love and hope and peace. He wants you to listen carefully. He wants you to know him. It’s a new beginning. Wake up and start over, for this day has never been. Listen beyond the noise and feel the calm that only God brings.”

Margie was spot on. We are all being sent messages constantly. Whether you believe it's from God, the universe, a loved one who has passed, or a combination of all of these things, nature quietly reminds us what we come from and what we can be if we allow ourselves to look past the noise. This morning, I took a picture of two flowers that had grown in the cracks of our patio. Those flowers, letting the sun nourish them and thriving even in conditions that weren't ideal. A reminder that things don't have to be perfect for us to start. The seeds didn't have the most nourishing soil and had barely any room to grow, but they still stretched out their roots and leaves and gave themselves a place in the world.

I'm thankful to Margie for this lesson today and for the flowers that grow through the cracks.