Recently I posted this picture on a Facebook group asking for plant identification. Silly me! I should have known I would get more sarcastic answers than I would helpful ones! I don't know why it irked, me but one man said "duh, it's a weed. Pull it up." I think I was irritated because, uh, hello, I know it's probably a weed, but it's a pretty one so why did it matter?!
It turns out, this particular plant is called a Cutleaf Evening Primrose and yes, it can be classified as a weed, but I also think the tiny, yellow flowers that only bloom in the early morning are beautiful so you know what? We haven't pulled them up. We have left the weeds; there is beauty in the weeds.
Just a few days ago, Brandon and I were pulling in our driveway from church and I was so giddy. We had wildflowers blooming in our front horse pasture (which is sorely lacking grass!). I got so excited telling Brandon how beautiful they are and how excited I was to see that we do indeed have some wildflowers around. Jokingly, because he knows the story from above, he said, "nah, we just have a bunch of weeds!" Que the wife's eyerollllllllll! Can you blame me?!
But all of this banter and joking about weeds and the beauty in them got me thinking, God created the weeds. Often times, it's the "weeds" that attract the butterflies and bugs and pollinators. What are the weeds in my life that I am trying to pull up that God really has a plan for?
Am I trying to uproot something that God has designed for a purpose for me? Even the thorny, sticky, ouchy things can come with beauty! What if the perceived flaw in my life is actually something uniquely created by God to help me reach my full potential, to grow my faith, to help me encourage someone else.
I didn't know fully what to expect from labor and delivery, but I knew it would be an amazing miracle to experience. And it was!!! It was the most beautiful and divine 19 hours of my life culminating in the delivery of the sweetest and most precious baby girl. It culminated in my becoming a mother and Brandon becoming a father. Something we had prayed for and looked forward to.
What I didn't expect from labor and delivery was to have such a tough recovery. Even now, 4 weeks later, I am mostly confined to the couch, only getting up and getting stuff done for a short burst of time, then back to sitting or laying and resting. Through most of the past 4 weeks, I have been disappointed and frustrated. I've felt bad as Brandon has worked his job and then toiled the rest of the day doing house chores, feeding me, taking care of the animals, and getting up throughout the night with me and the baby to help. He's been exhausted and I've taken a lot of naps.
It's only been within the last few days that I've realized this rest period is a weed I've been trying to pull up. Yes, I thought I'd bounce back in a couple of weeks and be back to tending my garden and doing chores, cooking meals and keeping the house clean. But, in God's greater design, he knew I needed this time to simply hold my daughter, stare at her precious face, bond with her, and focus on giving her the best start to life she could possibly have. She's already grown and changed. This newborn stage won't keep so while I thought I should be up and going, instead I'll soak this in. I'll notice all the little and silly details about her personality at this tiny age and I'll cherish these memories for the rest of my life!
Do you have a weed that God wants you to see the beauty in? Instead of trying to uproot it, maybe put a little water on it and smell the flower.
xo,
Sara
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