Sometimes I'm guilty of being impatient and not giving things time to work out harmoniously. Like that old garden adage proclaims, Faith grows in a garden.
Today I learned a tender lesson on forgiveness from the Sweet William or dianthus flower. Let me backtrack.
Last spring, I filled a large stone planter with these biennial plants whose flowers are born in starry clusters atop a short stem. Cheerful little blossoms graced our front walk, flourishing in the hot summer sun. In late autumn, the blossoms faded; the leaves, straggly. I was ready to plant a new kind of flower in the circular stone pot.
When I tried to uproot the Sweet Williams, their tenacious roots clung deep down to the pot. After a struggle, I gave up and pruned the plants in hopes they would bounce back, but they didn't.
Weeks later, I tried again with no luck no matter how hard I dug they wouldn't budge. An idea came, grab the hose and soak the soil to loosen the roots. Then turn the planter bottom side up and it won't be such an eye-sore.
With bad weather, my gardening enthusiasm waned and more than a month passed before I remembered to turn over the upset planter, wary of what I'd see.
To my delight, instead of old yellow, dried-up leafy dead plants, I found life! Pale green leafy little clusters of hope. With only a small hole in the top of the planter, I was amazed that the Sweet Williams managed to live without sun, wind, or rain.
A pang of guilt stirred at such a deliberate testimony of strong will and faith.
A powerful lesson that we, too, can stay strong when anchored in faith, when stuck in the darkness of sudden adversity. When we rely on God for help.
With a thankful heart, I asked the Sweet Williams to forgive me, and I hurried to water their wilted leaves with loving-kindness in the sunlight.
Then an idea came to keep the Sweet Williams sunny-side up in the planter, and create a tiny gnome garden, with a house and a mail box. It seemed like a win-win.
But there was more...
This morning when I opened the living curtains, I happened to look down from the window at a special delivery from the floral messengers. With childlike wonder, I gazed at one tiny red bud. It reached up high like an umbrella and had bloomed on a cold winter night. In that special moment, it seemed to be a gift of grace, an offering of forgiveness. I was thankful for a second chance.
Curious, I looked up the meaning of Sweet William (dianthus) in Nature-Speak.
The message was in divine order. This flower carries a message about greater obedience to divine will. The name William means "brave and protecting." "When we align to the divine will, we are protected and can walk without fear."
God is always speaking to His children. Please remember whatever you're going through just now, you may feel alone and cut off from the world at large, but God loves you. He knows the things you need. So fear not. He has given His angels charge over you to protect you and guide you. Keep rooted deeply in faith and trust the best is yet to be.
After dinner, I looked out the window, in the rain, a second Sweet William had bloomed.
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
Ref. Nature-Speak, Ted Andrews (Sweet William)
