Be a “Brenda” Today

I want to go on record as saying “I am sick of winter! Okay – already – this is enough snow! God can you find the ‘snow tap’ and turn it off please?”

I am also sure that if I could find a few strategies that really worked, to help people cope with winter, bottle or package them, then sell them for only $2 each – I would be a millionaire over night. This year at least – it would work.

I want to introduce you to “Brenda” – a wonderful “person” that is brightening our home this month. She came on my mom’s birthday and is named after a friend of ours that brought her.

At first “Brenda” was not that big. I should have taken a photo then with the six short stalks that were pushing upward from the soil. There in the middle of the stalk was something we thought may be a tulip head developing. You couldn’t quite tell how many there were to be. We thought maybe two or even three.

Were we ever delighted as the tulip's heads kept coming and coming. There are five now. The tallest two reach up to 25 inches from the table top. What a beauty! What a wintertime refreshing to change our home into a promise of spring time.

“Brenda” has effortlessly transformed glum winter days into something of promise. Instead of the dull, overcast, Ontario winter days with snow every time you turn around – our rooms are filled with colour and a new strength… a new life.

“Brenda” has helped me to focus on something that is so necessary now. There is a great big need in this winter to take a closer look, past the glum and grey, and into a tomorrow of possibility.

The ugly little brown bulbs planted in the single pot of dirt didn’t look like much. The period of waiting seemed long. The cycle of growing was different from other plants in that Tulips don’t usually bloom at this time of year in Ontario – unless the gardener plans for it. But all the planning and preparation paid off. The dream the gardener had back a six months ago has paid huge dividends in February for us.

There is a lesson here for me. Taking something that doesn’t appear to be very much, working with it in faith that something will happen, then applying a small bit of love to the effort, add a little waiting to it all… and TaDa… you have something of beauty.
Now replace ‘something’ with your ‘son’, your ‘daughter’, even your ‘spouse’… and watch what will happen. Replace ‘something’ with the word ‘friend’ and be delighted at what grows from it.

Imagine if we placed as much time, faith and love into our relationships as a gardener does with is tulip bulbs…what might happen?

But then there is the story of God and me… or God and you. Pretty much the same as the small, brown and not so pretty bulbs and the gardener… he saw the potential… chose the bulb and then said, “I think I will plant this one here.”

On this cool winter’s day I intend to do a little “Brenda” work in someone’s life today. I want to be there and show my ‘beauty’ where I can. I intend to give “me” away today.

How about you? Ready to bloom where you are planted?

~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~