Welcome to my blog!
Recently, bending to pick
something up from the ground almost beneath my feet, I noticed a single flower
among a stretch of dull paving bricks. It was evident a seed had taken root in a narrow, unswept crevice of an everyday pathway.
There was nothing very special
about the flower but what took my attention was that the little portulaca’s
face beamed up at me from a bed of hot paving bricks! A most unexpected place
for any plant to make a home! I stopped and looked in wonder at the tiny plant
that splashed brilliant colour on the dry, grey paving bricks.
I doubt the tiny seed had
much choice about where it landed. Probably blown there by the wind, it found
itself in a difficult situation. I wonder if there’s not a valuable lesson to
be learned from that brave little portulaca.
When we’re planted in a
rich, well-watered ‘garden bed’, supported by nearby blooms, it’s easy to
“flower’, to smile and brighten the lives of those around us. However it takes courage,
strength and resilience to do this in the dry, trying situations of life. Our
natural tendency in difficult times is to concentrate on ourselves in an
attempt to survive, and to busy ourselves devising ways to ride out our troubles.
That’s not what the brave
little portulaca did. It lifted its little face heavenward to soak up the sun’s
life-giving rays. That single act resulted in three things: even among those
hot pavers it received what it needed to sustain life, I stopped to marvel at
it and it was doing what it was designed to do.
I wondered if the Great
Designer had this in mind when He fashioned this tiny portulaca. What I do
know, is that I noticed it purely because its bloom reached out of a hard, dry
place. It brought colour and vibrancy to a canopy of grey and taught me a little
life lesson.
It’s good to be on the
lookout so we don’t miss these little lessons that come our way, on an everyday
kind of day.
...a little extra note
Portulacas are small, hardy succulents with brilliantly coloured flowers, as you can see in this little snap from my garden.
In a way, these bright blooms gave me the inspiration needed to set me on my way with this blog.
