Sunday Renewal

The dying marigold blossoms did not appear to hold much hope. They were tired, dry, dusty. Even though they contained the seeds of renewal just inside their crinkly jackets, you would never know it by their appearance.

For a long time, I kept opening the dead blooms, pulling out the black seed slivers, and sprinkling them into a vacant spot in my large deck planter. Here the impatiens had not thrived, and now there was a giant empty space all along one side of the pot, while bright orange marigolds lived happily across the aisle, on the other side. Then I would pour some water on the sad, sad seeds, and walk away.

I didn’t really expect much from the seeds. Day after day, week after week, I sowed and watered, and sighed over the lopsided arrangement of orange and green, and flat brown soil. It seemed pointless to put forth the effort, with no evidence of fruitfulness in sight.

I forgot about the seeds for a time. Other priorities captured my attention and diverted my thoughts. And then one morning, I stepped out onto the deck, and I looked.

Somewhere beneath the surface, in a place unseen, new growth was happening. And when I finally stopped and took a good long look, I was stunned to see that new life had sprung forth. The emptiness was gone. Soft, lush greenery joined the ever-present orange blossoms, creating marvelous symmetry.

The miracle of growth continues, and bright green leaves are stretching forth to touch their cheery neighbors. I saw buds the other day, and I’m sure it won’t be long before the sea of green is flooded with brightly colored bursts of orange. Even now, ‘though invisible to my eye, this renewal is happening…just beneath the surface, in a place unseen.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Hebrews 11:1

(posted by Betsy)