Petite Fleur and Marguerite
They were nearly lost in the barren landscape – two lonely little flowers – and I passed them by without a second glance. But a gentle sound, carried by the wind, caught my attention, and I stopped to listen.
“Good morning Petite Fleur. How are you this beautiful morning?”
“Oh Marguerite. How can you be cheerful in this terrible place? It is so ugly, so different than we imagined. Don’t you remember how we dreamed of the way things would be when we were just little seeds lying in the darkness?”
“I remember.”
“We felt the warmth of sunshine and the nourishment of rain. Our roots grew deep and we began to stretch up through the ground. We talked of living in rich green fields surrounded by so many others we would form a beautiful yellow blanket. That is what we were made to do.”
“Perhaps we were not all meant to do the same thing Petite Fleur.”
“What do you mean Marguerite? Of course we were meant to bring beauty to the world; to bring delight to people as they walked through life. There has been some terrible mistake. I could hardly believe my eyes when I finally struggled through the hard packed soil and saw this awful place. Where is the grass? There are only ugly weeds and stones. And what is that awful metal thing? Surely we don’t belong here!”
“Petite Fleur, you must remember that the Gardener never makes mistakes.”
“I used to believe that, but now I am not sure. Why would He want us to suffer so? You at least look pretty. I have hardly grown, and my pedals are so small. It is so hot, and there is nothing for us to do here. I don’t see the purpose in all of this. Why can’t we be where we will grow beautiful and strong and do some good? Doesn’t He care about us?”
“Do you remember the little bug Petite Fleur – the one who stopped to rest in the shade of your pretty face? I heard him tell the others he would never have made it if there had not been a cool place to rest.”
“Yes, I remember Marguerite.”
“And the butterfly Petite Fleur – the one who rested with us for just a moment before fluttering on her way? There was nowhere else to light.”
“She was very beautiful. I remember something else Marguerite. Did you hear what the ladies talked about when they stopped walking to rest right here by our spot on the side of the road? They were talking about being in a difficult situation and finding encouragement just looking at us. One of them said if we could bloom in such difficult circumstances then she knew she could too.”
“I did hear them Petite Fleur. How do you feel about what they said?”
“Oh Marguerite, I see what you mean. Even though this is not the place we would have chosen, it is the place He wanted us to be. He has a purpose for us here. I was so unhappy I couldn’t see the blessings.”
“Yes, sweet Fleur, this is just the place for us. He has provided all we need, and if we are willing He will do things through us that we couldn’t do in any other place.”
“We are special Marguerite – unique and strong. Why, this would be such a terrible place without us.”
“That is very true Petite Fleur.”
“Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you and remain as you were when God first called you.”
I Cor. 7:17
Blessings,
Linda
This is excellent, Linda! Thank you.
Wow! So sweet and so profound.