life is a gift. take care of it.

Me: Excuse me, how much is the beautiful bright pink zinnia you have in the back there?
Farmer: Ehhhh...five bucks.
Me: (jaw drop) Really?! that is CHEAP!
Farmer: Well, they brought them in this morning and they don't have prices on them yet so...five bucks it is. (smile)
Me: Wow, well, thank you! (went in the back to pick up my prize)
Farmer: Just think of it this way, now you'll be going home with something you didn't think you would be. (little did he know...)

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Girrrrrrls, I was just tickled pink to have that beautiful plant sitting on the floor next to me on my drive home that evening...

The thing is, that plant was clearly set to sell for $15 at least...it's huge and the blooms are plentiful and gor.geous.

And that farmer...he knew just what he was doing. He was making my day. On purpose.

To him, being kind meant far more to him than making an additional $10.

To me, even though i did pay $5 for it, it still felt like a gift.

And, Girls, it's really not even about the flowers.

Yes, they are brilliant and I love them but honestly, the gift was so much more than that.

It was a gift that reminded me that there is still good in the world. There are still people who value goodness, kindness and generosity.

I smiled all the way home that day and honestly, even cried at one point because I was so darn touched. That farmer has no idea of the effect he had on my life that day. It was a simple gesture but he renewed a faith in me that had been in the process of dying.

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God spoke to me through a farmer.

Now I have pretty bright pink faces to water once or twice a day. Who knew zinnias needed so much care?! They are thirsty little buggers!

If I miss a morning watering, they show me they're unhappy by shriveling up and looking mighty sad.

This gift requires work to keep them looking their best.

I know this may be a stretch to some...but I'm gonna put it out there anyway.

Life is a gift. God gave us this crazy beautiful life for FREE and our job is to take care of it.

I don't know about you but there have been A LOT of days in my life that I've looked quite shriveled up and sad (sure physically but also spiritually, emotionally and mentally!).


It is not a life that shows that I am taking the best care of God's precious gift to me!

I definitely need a daily drink of the everlasting water of His Word if I am to reflect Him and His glory.

My pastor's Sunday sermon spoke on "making Jesus look good" -  I can't help but think that some of us are looking kinda like a shriveled up plant to people in this world.

Dull and lifeless.

I am not even sure that anyone would want a plant like that for FREE let alone pay for one.

Wouldn't we better reflect Jesus and this precious gift of life he's given us if we chose to keep ourselves watered in the Word?

Let's be the brightest blooms we can be FOR HIM.

Drink up.

John 4:14

...but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."