Today as I sit here a thought struck me out of nowhere…. I realized that Beauty from the Ashes does not necessarily mean big events things……beauty can be something as simple as a plant, or song, or thought…. I sat down with the specific purpose of saying my prayers and writing them on my page Prayer Place when it suddenly hit me that I am surrounded by a beauty I had not taken the time to really notice and appreciate…. my plants….
When my brother died, I received a big pot of plants from his funeral. Now this pot was huge and had 5 different plants in it all arranged very nicely. I took it home and it wasn’t long before I realized I needed to repot them so they could grow. I repotted 4 of the plants and left one in the big pot. The plants since have flourished beyond my wildest dreams!
Funny how something that came into my life when I was at my lowest and darkest place has brought so much joy and peace. That my friend is what Beauty from the Ashes truly means…something as simple as a plant can change your perspective on life and death...that can bring joy when you feel there is no joy... something that can make you weep and smile at the same time.
Jose, said to me the other day” Honey, we have so many plants in the house… why don’t you give a few of them away?” my response to this was” No way!!! Those plants are my children! I have no pets, no dog, cat, or even bird …. those plants are my babies! I cannot give them away no matter how much they grow or multiply. You will just have to get used to the idea that you now live in a jungle of plants!” He smiled and laughed and said “Ok, I understand.” If you have ever been to my apartment you would understand his concern…we started out with only one big pot in the house and now we have 5 gallon ice cream containers, the original huge pot, two other large pots and a 16oz cookie container of plants not to mention the glass coffee jar filled with starts from my christmas cactus ” Priscilla” that my sister just brought me, which is on a stand in my kitchen and a face pot which now houses my Lucky Bamboo plant that sits on top of my computer ! Our bedroom now has two huge plants, “Herman (A snake plant) and Paulo (A fern like plant) on our dresser! My ledge in front of my windows in the front room, the top of my file cabinet, the storage table next to the ledge. So yes, I do have a kind of jungle in my home…. but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
On days when I am not feeling well, whether because of physical or mental reasons, I sit down and look around and remember how very blessed I am……I look at all the beauty and new life around me and I am at peace…. People sometimes say they have seen God or felt him after something traumatic has happened in their lives…..well for me I see God every morning when I wake up because the first thing I see is Herman and Paulo…..then as I proceed into the kitchen I see Priscilla, and I look into the front room and see all the other children….how could I not see God and feel his presence?
There is beauty around all of us even when we don’t realize it…..there is beauty in everything, sometimes we just have to look for it and stop expecting God to be all flashy and miraculous and start really paying attention to the little things we overlook on a daily basis. It’s the little things…. the little miracles that are the Beauty in the Ashes……that rainbow after a summer rain……the beautiful billowy clouds on a spring day…the beautiful colored leaves in the fall… the first snowfall of winter… or maybe just a simple plant that has a new start or a bloom.
Take the time from your busy, hectic day and spend just a few moments really looking around you and seeing the beauty and the blessings you have right in front of you…. take it in and just breathe for a moment…. take the time to be thankful for what is all around you just waiting for you to notice it….
Have an awesome day and know that God loves you even when you don’t love yourself and there is nothing you can do to stop him from loving you…. Until next time, God bless you and keep you safe and healthy.
Bernice Barnes
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