The Winter

I bought some Gerber daisies this January and put them outside my front door in a pot.  That might sound kind of crazy unless you know that I live in Houston, Texas where it's frequently in the 60s and 70s even in January. They did wonderfully and bloomed profusely.  They brought me (and my kids) a lot of joy.

Until I forgot and left them outside during a freezing cold night.  

Then they died.  

The plant turned completely black.  The leaves wilted and the whole plant just crumpled.  

I told my kids we needed to dig up the dead plant and throw it away.  The kids protested.  I didn't have enough energy to go to the store and buy a replacement plant so I just never got around to uprooting and replacing it.  Weeds started to grow in the pot where the daisies had been.

Every time we went outside to water the hibiscus, a hardier plant in freezing weather, the kids insisted I water the dead Gerber daisies.  Rather than fight with them, I just did it.  So, those dead daisies kept getting water.  They kept getting sun.  The bugs were kind of eating the dead leaves.  I knew there was no way they were coming back.  

Until they did.  I'm ashamed to say I didn't even notice it.  Eli pointed it out.  He said, "Mom, next to that weed is a new daisy plant."  

He was right.  

Now I am sure there are all kinds of things for which this could be used as an object lesson.  But the same thought keeps coming back to me.  

I have lots of friends who used to be my sisters (and brothers) in the gospel--that is, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Many of them still are.  Some of them have either fallen away from a belief in that religion slowly and may still believe but simply don't act.  Some of them have made a conscious decision that the Church isn't right for them.  Now, if you are reading this and you're one of these dear friends, please don't think I'm saying you're a dead plant.  I really really really am not.  

If you have made a conscious decision to leave the Church and you are happy then I am really truly happy for you.  I'm certainly not trying to preach.  

But if you got left outside in the winter freeze... if you were unexpectedly torn away... if you lost a loved one and couldn't understand how God could let it happen... if you don't understand how God can love you and let bad things happen... if you feel unloved... if you've been neglected, or offended or are lonely.  Or if you've simply made decisions that result in you feeling like you are separated from God, from where you want to be, from your church family or from the Son (like the Sun), then please...

Know that we often think something is dead when it's just asleep for the Winter.  We want you back, little Gerber Daisy.  I want you back.  And most important of all, God wants you back.  Just make one tiny effort and use the water of the faith of those around you, the sun from the Son and grow.  Just a little bit.  

You can bloom again, and we'll all smile when you do.