Summer Blooms

The grass withers, the flower fades: but the word of our God will stand for ever. Isaiah 40:8 

The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. Psalms 19: 1-4 

This summer I have been blessed with an abundance of blooming flowers. The cockscombs reach their glorious blooms to the heavens, the pica show the beauty of simplicity with white and pink, and the marigolds (or miracles that my daughter used to call them) remain prolific with their fuzzy yellow heads. I have one new flower this summer—somewhere between a daisy, a sunflower, and a marigold. It’s yellow/orange flowers are about the size of a half dollar, and they face the sun almost smiling all day. When one of these flowers dies, it leaves a brown flower that blends in well with the live ones. It makes me think of my mother who believed in the adage—bloom where you’re planted. Even though she died many years ago, her personality and her spirit blend into my life daily—like the brown flower.

As you read this devotion, think about those who influenced your life and have now passed on. Thank God for their guidance in your growth and their teaching regarding faith and the love of God. Enjoy the flowers knowing that they too will pass with the winter, but their memory lives on.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the beauty of nature all around us reminding us of your love and caring. Thank you for those persons who have taught us about your love and have helped us in our faith journey. Help us know that heaven is a beautiful place with flowers that never die. Amen.

Nancy Hall