Against all odds

Back in May or June I planted some petunias in planters in my garden.  They were labelled summer bedding plants and true to form most of them flowered nicely for a good stretch of the summer.  Im not a very attentive gardener so they did get a bit neglected but I remembered to dead-head them occasionally and, along with the lobelia, they made a very nice display.   It is now December.  Here in Northern Ireland we have already had at least one really heavy overnight frost ( cue scraping of car windscreen in the morning) and the days are now pretty cold with some very biting winds.   Nonetheless one petunia plant is still valiantly in flower.  


this isnt my plant.  It was too dark to photograph mine by the time I got home :)

As I left the house this morning to go to work my pretty pink petunia was valiantly smiling at me.  God drew my attention to the fact that it was still flowering despite the cold and the rain and the fact that all its friends had gone to plant heaven weeks ago.  I just felt that for someone reading this today God wants to say that He sees you blooming where you have been planted.  Against the odds, through the cold nights and the dreary days He has allowed you to flower where others have given up and withered away.  Although you were designed for sunshine and warmth you are persevering and because you are doing that you are making people smile and bringing joy in unexpected places.  Don't give up.  God sees you and is pleased.   

My one good thing yesterday was going to be the scattering of baby Jesus stones around my village.  However it turned out to be something else.   I asked the two kids I childmind if they wanted to come with me to hide the stones.  I thought they would jump at the chance and indeed they did.  So off we set and Hollie ( who is 5 ) said ' Caz why are we hiding baby Jesus stones?  They arent Christmassy.'   (!!!) So as we walked round the village I told Hollie the story of the nativity - helped by her brother Lewis who seemed well versed in most of it.  ' Oh yes, I've heard that story' says Hollie.   ' It's not a story Hollie, it's true.  It really happened'  says I.

And that was a good thing.      



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