A Lesson in Comparison and Divine Timing

A dear friend sent me a beautiful large bouquet of mixed flowers for my birthday two weeks ago. As the blooms began to die off, I removed them one by one. The dwindling bouquet continued to delight me until garbage day arrived and I reluctantly realized it was probably time to throw it away.

There was one large Stargazer lily bud that had not yet opened even though all the others had long since bloomed. I decided to snip the oblong, tightly closed bud and put it in its own little bud vase. Although I doubted whether or not it would survive, within a few days I joyfully noticed the bud beginning to loosen up around the top. By the next day, as each hour progressed, the bud exploded into a gorgeous new flower.

Instead of just enjoying the lone flower, a judgmental thought entered my mind…”This is such a late bloomer”. A deeper knowing quickly crossed my heart and gently corrected me, “No, this bud bloomed in perfect timing and is receiving the individualized attention and admiration without the distraction of all the other flowers surrounding and detracting from its own unique and intricate detail.”

I stand corrected, there is no such thing as a late bloomer. 

The stem may be much shorter, the vase smaller, the leaves gone, yet all IS in divine order.

I could have easily thrown out the closed bud with the dead bouquet, discounting its capability and depriving it of any further light or water sealing its fate. I chose instead to give it a little extra loving TLC and allowed it the time and space it needed to unfold and achieve what it was always destined to become; a vibrant, gorgeous and fragrant flower. I had doubted whether it would bloom and if I had not paused in consideration I would have missed bearing witness to its own magnificent unfoldment and the experience of a much greater life lesson.

There are seeds in my own life that have been planted as far back as I can remember, deeply furrowed within the darkest recedes of my being. I become frustrated and many times lose faith questioning length of time and whether or not the fruits of my labor will ever materialize. I’ve seen many others around me bloom, shine and harvest some of the same things I long for and have yet to achieve.

Why is this? Perhaps I am not choosing to nurture it enough with my own love and light. Maybe I’ve not provided the same level of effort required or decided its absence is an indicator of barren failure instead of a fertile possibility.

Or, just perhaps, I am not doing anything wrong and one cannot rush divine timing or question the inherent perfection of life’s smallest of miracles or grandest of God’s plans.

I appreciate the added gift this Stargazer lily provided as a reminder to enjoy the wonders that continuously surround each and every day. I am thankful for the subtle but wise whisper in my ear urging me to continue to trust in the process of life and the beauty of my own blooms.

Shared in perfect timing,

Amy Lovelynn