A Weed Is Not What it May Appear to Be.

Today Hunky came rushing in holding tightly to a weed. The truth is, it WAS a weed. To him, it was a special flower he picked just for his mom. Indeed, it was flowering. It even had a pleasant, faint scent to it. So, it remains in a "shot glass" type of container on the counter awaiting mom's arrival home.

It got me to thinking...I have somewhat of a weed fetish. I pluck those suckers out of the ground every chance I get...whether they are on my property or someone else's. BY THE ROOTS! I have been accused of being, at least nearly being, obessive/compulsive about them. (Hey, I CAN walk away from them...it is hard to do...but I CAN!)

Anyway, I thought about the perspective of a child. He saw a beauty in a simple weed. Something I would have plucked out or mowed down and thrown away. Hunky has that special quality. It isn't just for weeds. He has a kind heart and a positive perspective on people in general. It was he who held the gate open for others at the zoo, just because it needed to be held open. He is a great helper. He can see something that needs to be done, and he does it. Well, he at least offers and tries. He comes up with fantastic stories, often with heroes of simple people doing something less than fantastic, but with great spirit. I think I used to be that way. When I was a child...

I considered the questions "Do I see more weeds in life than flowers?" "Has life dealt me enough weeds that the flowers get lost in the landscape?" "Do I spend more time pulling weeds, both literally and figuratively, than I do planting and cultivating flowers in my life?" "Do I see the struggles in those around me and interpret them as weeds instead of seeing the potential of a least a temporary flower?" Wow! I think I know the answer to all of those questions. I think I shall let some weeds grow...at least until they have blossomed out all their potential and have become obvious weeds. I shall ask God to help me pull out my own weeds in the garden of my heart, and perceive those of others as flowers with potential. I shall try to look upon the struggles as having at least the potential value of bringing a smile to someone's face, sometimes.

My daughter will chuckle and thank Hunky for the flower. She will hug him and tell him what a wonderful thing he did to bring her the flower. And he will feel special. Because he is.

And so are all of us...whether we are experiencing the weeds or flowers of our lives.

M