As I have written many times before, working in my small yard just brings the purest joy to my heart. Mind you, if you ride by my humble abode in the dead of winter you might would think that I was low on joy. There is simply much activity this time of year. The grass is an unattractive, crispy tan color that does not evoke much excitement. Leaves are missing from all of my pear trees and most of my shrubs are clinging to their winter coats and hibernating.
The last bit of shrubbery to bloom is my row of Dwarf Sasanquas. Some people call them “Shi Shi” or “Mini Camelias”. They normally pick up their buds in the fall and selfishly hold them tight until they burst open with the most vibrant pink hue. The hot pink show usually takes place the entire month of December. By the time my Christmas lights begin to fade as they are taken down, the Sasanquas are saying farewell to the last bloom.
As the days begin to get longer I will begin with my pre-Spring chores and spend more time in my yard. This past Sunday evening I was hit with the sudden urge to clean out a flower bed in my back yard. I made many trips to the curb with lifeless and colorless weeds and branches. With every step that was being tracked on my watch I could not help but notice how brown and dull everything was and how in just a few short weeks it would come back to life.
After my last trip to the curb I was putting up my chore paraphernalia and noticed a small, bright pink burst of color laying within the dormant branches of the Dwarf Sasanquas. Upon further inspection I saw that it was a newer, tightly held bud that was about to explode. I kindly spoke to the bud and told her that my wintery eyes truly appreciated her being a late bloomer. I was so proud of her for lying dormant all winter and patiently waiting for the others to put on their show before she made her exciting entry into the harsh winter winds.
Even if no one else on my street could enjoy her quiet beauty tucked away in the limbs, I enjoyed it enough for all of us. I was simply amazed at her strength and courage to bloom to the beat of her own drum.
At that moment I was reminded that the Bible is full of late bloomers and early bloomers. Sarah didn’t give birth until she was 90 years old. God bless her. David was a mere child when he faced down Goliath. Mary was only 15 years old when she gave birth to Jesus. Noah was around 500 years old when he built the Ark. There very few events in the Bible that actually took place in a normal time frame. It is almost as if the creator has a knack for creating the unexpected.
Before we were even created, the Lord already took into account how long it will take us to bloom. He has already logged in our doubt, disobedience and procrastinating ways when he purposed our life. He already knew what obstacles, divorces, grief, set-backs, delays, job losses, financial problems, and heart break would befall us when he was writing our story. None of this will keep us from blooming when it is our time. When the Lord has a purpose for you nothing can stop it.
Sometimes the latest blooms leave the biggest impact in the kingdom.
“There is a time for everything; and a season for every activity under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose” – Romans 8:28
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