A Word from Pastor Jay

I know what a sunflower looks like. I know what a dandelion is, as well as a rose. I know how to identify a Gerbera Daisy as well, since that is Jamie’s favorite flower. Beyond that, I’m pretty stuck when it comes to identifying flowers. Don’t get me wrong. I love flowers. They’re beautiful, and can brighten a yard or a room as their colorful blooms treat both our eyes and noses. When Jamie and her mother get together, the conversation invariably turns toward gardening. It is a passion the two of them have shared all of Jamie’s life. The fun part for me is that I don’t know what they are talking about. Or rather, I don’t know to which plant they are referring. They bring out all kinds of names, some of them in Latin, to identify which plant they are denoting, and engage in long conversations about our back yard in ways which make me wonder if I’ve ever seen the place. Often, Jamie will ask me my opinion on some gardening question they are discussing, mentioning the name of the plant or flower, and I simply shrug my shoulders until she describes the plant in more detail. “You know, the one with the large leaves near the chimney on the deck,” or “The one with the white flower over by the gate in the back yard.” Only when described in enough detail am I able to discern which plant/flower is the topic of conversation. But I do enjoy hearing them discuss their respective gardens and the plans they have and the work they do to keep them healthy and beautiful.

As I sit here in the church office, I get to enjoy the beautiful flower bed put together by members of Apostles. Some of our folk wanted to create a flower garden on the church property to beautify the surroundings and to use potentially for altar flowers or other church needs. I can tell you, their efforts have been rewarded. The flower garden is beautiful, and even though I can’t identify most of the flowers which highlight the spot (the sunflowers are fairly easy) still, I can enjoy the beautiful colors, and the insects which descend upon the garden as well. Even though my limited understanding keeps me from knowing many of the details about the garden, I still can find enjoyment in what I can see.

It reminds me of God’s grace. I don’t understand that grace, at least not as well as I should. God’s grace far outpaces my meager ability to comprehend such love and devotion, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t enjoy and rejoice in the small amount I can identify. I am not as gracious as God, and have a difficult time understanding such deep and unwarranted grace. Yet, when that grace is made known to me, when I feel God’s love for me even when I break relationship with God and others, I only can marvel that it is true. Like a beautiful flower garden, I can’t take credit for the loveliness, nor can I opine on many of its details. Rather, I simply revel in the beauty of it and rejoice that it is a part of my life.

As we move toward the end of summer and still have many weeks of blooming flowers and lush natural surroundings, I wonder if we can see in the beauty around us a metaphor for God’s grace. Some understand this grace better than others. Some know very little of the details about how this grace comes to be. Yet all can rejoice in its beauty, and know that because it exists, our lives are richer, deeper, more blessed and happier. May God’s grace bring beauty to your life today.