The Ugly Flower Arrangement

Not the Original, but something from my yard!
photo by Hazel

 

Some friends are for a long period of time and Sylvia was one of them.  In the 1970s we attended the same church, and often would pray together over problems you couldn’t talk about with just anyone. 

 

Recently I visited her, and after all these years, she asked me if I had been doing any flower arranging lately.  This story from the past is what she was referring to.

 

Early one Sunday morning, Sylvia mentioned that the Florist who usually supplied flowers for in front of the pulpit was not sending flowers today!

 

I suggested that we take a knife from the kitchen and see what we could find in the yard.  Surely there were some flowering bushes we could make an arrangement that would do.

 

Our search did not bring up much, but we managed to find some interesting leaves and the two of us placed our decoration up front in the church.

 

Before long people began to congregate and one of our dear ladies came up to us and make a startling statement; “I don’t know what is wrong with that florist, because that is the Ugliest Floral Arrangement I have ever seen.”

 

Sylvia and I looked at each other and smiled and silently prayed that next week would bring nice flowers again from the florist.

 

In life, we often are not appreciated for efforts that are not as beautiful as a professional would do it.

 

As we look around at various ministries and authors our feeble efforts may at times seem ugly in comparison.

 

I wonder if God does not judge beauty and excellence by a different yard stick than what we often use.

 

To God, our ugly just might be lovely in His eyes.