Thursday, June 6, 2013

Joy In the Midst of Plastic!


Grace.....it follows us into the dark, the worry, the heavy - and drops a beautiful gift wrapped in joy and tied with ribbons of love.

From the minute we chose the plans for our new home, I had visions of pots full of luscious blooms hanging from the headers of our front porch. Although my past is littered with the remains of innocent flowers, I am a glass-half-full sort of girl, and as soon as we moved in I bought plants.

And I killed them in record time. sigh......

My husband jokingly said we should buy artificial flowers for the now unoccupied pots. I thought that just a tad cruel, but on further reflection saw the practicality of the plan. A quick visit to Hobby Lobby, and voila!



 I found them lacking a certain "something," but apparently there were some who thought them just fine. Imagine my surprise when one morning I found this young couple considering the possibilities of setting up housekeeping among the prickly plastic leaves and blossoms. (I think you can see them if you click on the picture.)


 This is a particularly heavily trafficked area of our home - being the kitchen sink and all - and I couldn't believe they would choose to stay. But stay they did. They immediately set about making some improvements - the number one priority being a nursery.


 For long periods of time this is the way it looked - abandoned. Aha, I thought, they've finally figured out it isn't exactly what they thought it was. On the off chance that I was wrong (what are the odds?) I tippy-toed out to the porch and put a tentative hand into the nest. In a flash I pulled it out as if I had touched hot coals. There was an actual egg nestled deep in the nest.


This is pretty much the way it looked all day long - abandoned. I am ashamed to say I began to cast aspersions on the motherly instincts of Mama Cardinal. Poor little babe - rejected and all alone. I wondered how difficult it would be to hatch an egg. I know.

However, when I walked into the kitchen to make breakfast this morning, there she was - sitting on her nest. She sat with a beady eye on the window, and the moment I got my camera she took off. I haven't seen her all day, but I'm not saying anything. Perhaps this is the way of cardinals.

I can't properly tell you what joy I find in all of this. In the least likely of places...... Thank You Father.

Blessings,
Linda