Bouquet

The day before our Harvest Festival several friends from church and I decorated it with flowers, berries and fruit. Our work went smoothly. Soon, bright arrangements decorated the whole church. When the main decorative work had been completed there were some ‘leftovers’ on the table—broken branches, squashed flowers and unopened buds. As we gathered all this together to throw it into the bin, the caring hands of one woman took a few items from the pile, wrapped a ribbon around them, and crowned her masterpiece with a shiny bead. A charming bouquet appeared before our eyes.

Sometimes I feel like one of those superfluous, broken branches, thrown overboard in this materially oriented world. But for our Lord none of us is superfluous or unnecessary. Each person is precious and valuable in God’s eyes (see Isaiah 43:4). Each of us is a unique flower in the fragrant bouquet of the Lord.

Prayer: Generous and merciful God, help us to know ourselves as your beloved children. Help us to understand that we are wonderfully made by you and that we have everything we need for life and holiness. Amen