This afternoon after lunch I was standing in the doorway of our little home, intending to close the stable doors against the cool breeze, when I noticed the figure of a little lady slowly walking in the street passing our home.
As is usual in our little village, I called out a greeting when she got to within hearing distance. She diverted her steps and came towards the door, calling as she came close: "I must thank you for your beautiful garden. I live in a first floor apartment and whenever I go for my walkabout I so enjoy seeing all the lovely gardens around me".
I stepped out and met her outside... petite, rather fragile looking, with wisps of silver grey hair, huge almond shaped hazel eyes, and lovely accented Afrikaans. We introduced ourselves and during the course of our conversation I found out that she was in fact already in her eighties. We chatted for a few minutes, and soon found ourselves on which was obviously very well-loved mutual ground : our need to worship the Creator God for all the beauty surrounding us in nature, including gardens and their inhabitants of all possible kinds.
We took a short stroll in my garden and I picked a couple of branches of the bottle brush tree's beautiful red plumes, as well as a few twigs of a "fynbos" shrub bearing minute, yet perfect white flowers. Around the corner we added five of six golden blooms from the pincushion shrub of the protea family and we completed the posy by adding a few sprigs of lavender.
My, was my new friend chaffed! She could not thank me enough whilst carefully holding the flowers against her body with both hands. Her last remark as she started off towards her apartment was that she felt like a bride with her exquisite bouquet!
Looking at her retreating back, I realised that I had just experienced a moment of intense beauty and joy - as if I had been touched by something beautiful; as if a butterfly had settled on my hand for a few precious minutes!
I was also privileged today to have a bouquet of flowers delivered to my youngest daughter in the U.S.A to celebrate her birthday with her. What a joy!
How little it takes to change an ordinary day into an experience to remember - a thing of beauty!
The words of a childhood song echoed in my head:
"All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all...."
(Cecil F Alexander)
Thank You, Lord, for the bountiful beauty and blessings that you continue to provide that give us unlimited pleasure and joy; that we may also share it with those around us.
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