Friday, June 20, 2014

A Holy Anomoly

Proverbs 18:24  There are "friends" who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother, (NLT)


It's Sunflower season again in my garden. Many of you know,  and join me in loving these whimsical, sunny-faced botanicals.

I harvested seeds from last year's dried blooms, bought a couple new varieties from Burpee.com and planted earlier this year, in April.

Up they came, only a week later.

So faithful...to me.

Planted specifically right out my kitchen window, I glory in them. Cup of coffee in hand, many a morning prayer are spent leaning on the counter and feeling the Holy Spirit infuse His peace, His Love,  and so much more.



I recommend starting the day this way. 

Right now, I am anxious for a new variety to open. They've been a little slower in the shadow of the mighty over achievers.





They're suppose to be a marroun color.








And then this happened...






A conjoined sunflower, the bigger one protruding a petal in the center of its core.







anomoly?  ...maybe.

noun
  1. 1.
    something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected.
    "there are a number of anomalies in the present system"


Twins are formed by a fertilzed egg spliting--identical twins. Or,  by two separate fertilized eggs--fraternal.

So what happened down there in the dirt?

I don't know, but they are one flower, front and back and then some...bursting with joy, fully alive, swaying in the breeze together.  They catch what's going on from all sides.

 Friendship in the Lord is like that, standing tall with one another as we grow. We see a different perspective on things. One sees one way, and another can see things more subjectively, lacking an emotional attachment. Isn't that the way we're suppose to harvest wisdom?  Sharing and holding on to one another, we can trust each other in the heavier winds that blow, threatening to knock us down. We encourage each other as we share from our experiences of what the "garden of life" brings to us. We hold each other accountable.

For we are planted for one purpose, to bring God glory.

Even in our past, special friendships in the Lord, grab on and hold us to open up all our beauty to one another and the world. Sometimes there is so much love, we just don't have room, so it will just burst out further into the world. Eyes may roll, some may just scroll on by, thinking too weird for me...

How does their "garden" grow?  

My garden is FULL of the beauty of special friends. We are oddly peculiar to the world,  loving one another, praying for one another, trusting one another, dancing, singing, parenting, mourning and rejoicing.

From the deepest of  hearts, there is something very intimate when praying with a friend. 


That,  my sunflower friends, reflects our Lord and He sees all of us as His anomoly, unique and perfect  complete in His grace. God called each of us to stand out for Him.  The weeds of destruction are creeping in. Some of those weeds look beautiful, a disguise of evil that is not an anomoly, but the template of destruction long ago devised. 
  

 Lord, I give praise and thanksgiving for friends who gather 'round my table and plant their loyalty and own grace deep in my heart. Keep us faced towards You, soaking up Your goodness, Your purpose and Truth, for our own lives, and for the encouragement of each other.  You see all of us as Holy anomolys, perfect and complete in Your Grace. Blessed. Amen. 







5 comments:

  1. I just got your email, which tweaked my curiosity . . . which led me to your beautifully written Sunflower story. Thank you for all you have done for me Coleene. It's interesting your 1st picture shows 5 sunflowers opened up. :) This post has got to be one of my very favorites so far. Thank you for inviting me to grow in your garden.

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    1. Mel, Thanks for seeing the "5" sunflowers and always keeping me "grounded" in the knowledge that through all our disappointments and through all our hopes, God is Good and He honors our "garden of friendship."

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  2. Oh...Coleene, this is just the most beautifully written & truly heartfelt story of friendship & believing in God's glory & goodness in one another. I agree with Melody that this is one of my very favorites you've written as well. I love your analogies and especially that of the conjoined twin Sunflower & how it sees from both sides. I love being a part of your "friendship" garden my dearest friend. And now, more than ever...this story tugs at my heart when I need it the most...as you know so well. Love you & you are so blessed in God's gift of story telling & beautiful words. Always, your BFF -- D

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    1. Diane, my dear friend, you are not an annual in my garden, appearing in just a season, but a perrenial, proven friend over so many years. God is drawing you in to a closer relationship with Him and your blooms always will be unique, of quality and detailed to reflect all the love and care you give to a relationship and anything you do. I am blessed to have you planted deep into my heart.

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  3. Coke...you just made me cry as I read your reply. <3 love you, Diane

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