Beauty in Unexpected Places

Sometimes the most beautiful things grow in unexpected places. I planted sunflowers our first summer in this house, and since then I haven’t sown any seeds. We just let some of the seeds fall, and usually they sprout up in the same flower bed to shade my summer lettuces. But sometimes we find them coming up in very unexpected places. This year, we found a late sunflower sprout coming up in our watermelon bed, but decided to leave it so we didn’t disturb the root system of our fledgeling plants. I didn’t think it would get very big where it was anyway. But apparently I was wrong, and this was the perfect place for this giant to flourish! It brought us so much joy to watch it get bigger and bigger. Every day we went out and exclaimed, “Wow! It’s even bigger today!” It turns out to be the biggest and tallest sunflower that has grown in our garden.

Sometimes life is like that sunflower. We find ourselves in an unexpected place thinking, “This isn’t where I’m supposed to be. All the other flowers are growing over there. This must be wrong.” But maybe that unexpected place is exactly the RIGHT place for us, and it’s where we’ll grow the most. I certainly didn’t set out to grow the biggest sunflower ever this year. I don’t know enough about soil composition or the particular make up of what lies underneath where it was planted. But God does. He knows what lies underneath of where we are and can give us the exact nourishment and resources we need to grow best. It’s so easy for me to see all the ways things “don’t make sense” to my mind, or for my mental attitude to be “I don’t see how this place can produce anything good.” Often God get’s us away from what is normal or expected because we grow best when we are dependent on Him. Being in an unexpected place can produce a deeper faith because it’s easier to see our need for God. I have a lot of this in my life right now, and I’m grateful for God’s gentle reminder to my heart: “Watch and see what I will grow here!” I look forward in faith that it will be the more beautiful than staying where we “should have been.” He always meant for me to grow here. And so, like the sunflower, I too will keep trying to grow towards the Son.

Summer Journal No. 2 | The Three Brothers' Room

After nearly 10 years, we no longer have a nursery. It’s an end of an era. The twins are officially moved out of the nursery and into Elias’ room, which has become the “three brothers’ room”. I would have held onto that season longer if not for a nudge telling me, “It’s time.” They enjoy being all together and I pray it grows a strong bond. Their room holds my collection of old ship paintings, which albeit is not very large or valuable, but it means something to me. I’ve always loved ships and the sea. It feels both calming and adventurous. As we are learning Latin, I found out the word adventure comes from the same root as “advent” and means “about to happen”. And so, while I am sad that the last of my babies’ babyhood is fading quickly away I also see the adventure coming for them in their little kid years: forts and knights, cars and trains, laughter and wrestling when they should be in bed. I see adventure for our little band of brothers, and I am excited for their adventure in brotherhood as they grow into strong, brave, and compassionate young men.

For now, they are figuring out the dynamic of existing together. At bedtime the boys always ask for a “three brothers story” where they open an invisible story cabinet with their hidden keys. (Usually stored in their bellybuttons for lack of pockets.) In the stories, the incredible “three brothers” live in an enchanted forrest and have the ability to talk to animals. They use this super-power to rescue creatures in need. It’s always a thrilling adventure, complete with acting out all the scenes and making every animal noise. Boys, you know. As I tell them these stories I imagine my boys growing up and actually using all their strengths for good in a similar way. I hope they are strong. I hope they know how to work as a team. I hope they have ears that listen out for those in need. I pray for many real adventures as they travel through life together. Though they’re still little, their older years are just around the corner and I can see it coming in the distance.

In the now empty nursery I choose to see the “about to happen” too. With hope and expectation, we’ve made it a recording and work space. I hope a different kind of thing will be birthed and cradled there. It’s not for me to know the times and seasons, but to simply follow God’s leading by taking the next step. Though I don’t see what’s coming, faith in God’s goodness gives me excitement for what is ahead.