The next plant to mention in this series is Rudbeckia with beautiful yellow flowers that have grown up through the cracks in the paving stones in our backyard. These have not been knowingly watered and were certainly not intentionally planted, rather they seem to have self-seeded from last year’s flowers and flourished independently of anything I have done.
Jesus told the parable of the sower, where some seed fell on rocky ground and was eaten by the birds. Some fell on shallow ground and after putting up first shoots, soon withered and died. Other seeds fell onto good soil where it grew, flourished and bore fruit. Some of us are like seed on rocky ground where we fail to put down any roots of faith and get “eaten” by the quick fixes in society. Others of us might have shown an initial interest in Jesus, but have soon lost interest and “withered in the ground.” Hopefully, many of us have put down roots into the good soil that God provides, have been nourished by his living water and will, in time bear fruit.
For me, seeing those flowers, in the middle of our back yard indicates how our Creator God works in what seems like a random manner, but brings beauty into this world he created, despite all our efforts to the contrary. We might give up hope but he is a faithful God. We might think we are in control but he is Sovereign Lord.
Prayer: Thank you, God, for flowers in the cracks. Thank you that you bring beauty into dullness, life into what seems dead and hope to the hopeless. Amen