It’s the last Friday of the month, and I’m feeling the need to slow down. I’m joining Susanne now, at Living to Tell the Story, to cultivate gratitude by pausing to remember the good things of the week—and this month too.
💖 Maybe these things seem small, but they matter.
Here’s my list for this week:
1️⃣ Last Saturday I came down with a fever and spent most days in bed or garden chair. Thankfully, by Wednesday I began to feel better. My cough is still lingering a bit, but I’m so grateful the fever is gone.
2️⃣ My son gave me a lovely candle after an outing. It smells amazing, and it has little minerals inside that I plan to put on my windowsill later.
3️⃣ I joined a free workshop called Van Scrollen Naar Lezen (From Scrolling to Reading) and was so enthusiastic about it.
4️⃣ I wrote an Instagram post about a special “mistake” in my flower.
5️⃣ I’m absolutely fond of books with an animal as the main character! I did a lot of reading this week. Even though I felt sick, I finally had time to enjoy my books!
These were my little blessings of the week. 💕
I wrote this about a flower with a flaw:
🌸 This flower doesn’t grow the way it’s supposed to.
It twists into a spiral, growing crooked along the way.
They say it’s a mistake at the growth point.
They call it fasciation—a kind of growth disorder.
The stem widens, as if several parts have merged together.
It can happen because of cold, stress, damage, or disease.
Just like me.
At one point, I thought:
Too much has gone wrong.
Too much has grown crooked.
But now, years later, as I look back,
I see that something has grown after all.
In the depths, where everything seemed broken.
God can really bring something beautiful to life
even in places where it seems impossible.
I still don’t understand how He does that.
But I admire Him.
For who He is.
For what He does.
What you can’t see now
may become a source of wonder later.
“Even the crooked growth can carry fruit.”
🌀 “He makes everything beautiful in its time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
OH, Aritha, I do hope you are feeling much better by now. I am praying for you, as I know you've been dealing with some other health concerns for a while. May God restore your strength and bring healing to your body in every way. This was a lovely post, and I love what you wrote about "growing crooked", etc. That was beautiful, and yes, Ecclesiastes 3:11 is so very true. Thank you for reminding us. Sending up prayers on your behalf.
ReplyDeletePamela, thank you so much for your kind words and prayers. They mean a lot to me. Blessings to you today!
DeleteHi Aritha, I am glad you are feeling better. I enjoyed your post. I love Ecclesiastes 3:2 too.
ReplyDeleteHi Susan, thanks so much for your kind words. Yes, Ecclesiastes 3:2 is such a comforting verse, isn't it? Blessings to you today!
DeleteI so loved your reflection/poem on the crooked-growing plant, Aritha. Doesn't it describe all of us as we grow in this life? None of us is without sin, yet loved by God. Glad to know you're feeling better, too. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Martha Jane. I’m so glad you enjoyed the reflection—it’s true, we all grow a little crooked, yet God’s love is steady. Blessings to you as well!
DeleteI'm glad the fever is gone and hope the cough goes away soon, too. Extra reading time is one advantage to being sick. :-) That poem is lovely, and what a wonderful truth--God can bring beauty and fruitfulness from our broken places.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your encouragement—God is indeed so good at bringing beauty from our brokenness. Blessings!
DeleteI'm just doing a catch up with FFF posters so I hope by now you are fully recovered.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you weren't feeling well but glad you are on the mend now. Nice that you got some reading in while recuperating. I love the last line of your poem "Even the crooked growth can carry fruit".
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