I Come to the Garden Alone

God met me in the flowers today. One thing that brightens my day are flowers. I just recently allowed myself the luxury of buying them for myself. To my surprise, as I am faced with making a selection at the grocer, more often than not, I am drawn to carnations. Carnations are, well, ordinary. And because of this, they are often overlooked for special occasions. Roses are selected for romantic occasions. Daisies are chosen because they are happy and cute. Sunflowers are bold statements to encourage a sunny disposition. Lilies for given for sympathy. Yet, even though they are less notable, carnations offer things the other flora cannot. Carnations are deliciously fragrant; their light lovely scent can freshen up an entire room. They are resilient; their tight compact little buds and blooms aren't easily snapped, plucked or torn. They are long-lasting; when well taken care of, these darlings will last for weeks after their more spectacular flower cousins have bowed their heads, withered and been thrown out to compost. As I look around and see lots of sleek roses, flirty daisies, strong sunflowers and solemn lilies. Sometimes I feel pretty ordinary, like a carnation. But God allowed me to see that in His creation, there is always more than meets the eye. The ordinary can be extraordinary if we take the time to smell the flowers.