Wild Flowers

What a hard week. The shooting that happened in Orlando Saturday night is beyond comprehension and the pain and sorrow expressed through the week reinforced that so many suffer from the violent action of one. This came on top of the ongoing frustration that the Syrian family we are matched with is stuck in Iraq. As it is a country in conflict, Iraq is not safe enough to send in Canadian personnel to process their refugee applications. The family is feeling totally isolated and forgotten. Our Skype conversations this week have included lots of moments of painful silence as I have few words of encouragement to offer.

In the middle of the week a woman from the congregation brought me a bouquet of wild flowers she picked. They have sat on my desk these hot June days as a reminder of the beauty that awaits outside the doors. The buttercups have dropped a few golden petals and the forget-me-nots have faded to a paler shade of blue while the daisies smile happily.

One of the verses of scripture that always befuddles me in the one where Jesus says, “Consider the lilies of the field. They neither toil nor spin.” Well, sure Jesus they are plants. But, I think, hidden within that verse is a reminder that the moment’s pain, while deep and hard, will be eased and that there is beauty and comfort in the simplest of things.

Sometimes it is hard to see the beauty when we are overwhelmed with difficulties but the flowers do bloom and there is someone who picks a handful and offers them up. For this I am grateful.

About Nancy

Nancy is a United Church minister. She has been in ministry over for 40 years navigating the changing waters of faith and culture.
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