A Humble, Beautiful Volunteer!

Once again, nature surprised and delighted me this week! My grandson and I have begun the process of fall clean-up. This will continue for the next two months as the trees complete their cycle of leafing out. While Danny was mulching the early leaves with the rider, I undertook the task of pulling up the fading spring plants from the front planters and the bedding areas in the backyard.

Last of the Season!

That’s when I noticed a surprise underneath leaves and a cluster of old, dry flowering plants. There it was! A little, humble, and beautiful volunteer purple petunia peeking out of the corner bed. It was like it was begging me to see it and rescue its tender little flower standing tall above a spindly stem. I proceeded to gently dig around the root and pull it to safety!

Holding this fragile work of nature gingerly in one hand, I managed to keep it intact as I brought it inside to arrange it into a small vase. With a welcomed drink of water, this perfectly displayed flower of springtime was showing off its colors like a bouquet of store-bought roses! I love a table with a freshly cut flower, especially when it cost me nothing! All I had to do was receive it and put it on display!

It’s amazing how one little humble and fragile volunteer petunia can nurture and lift one’s spirit in early fall! Our yard has been drought-challenged since mid-summer. While I tried to keep up with watering for a few weeks, I finally just gave up on the yard and plants as the dry conditions wore on into fall. I have learned through this surprising little petunia how amazingly hardy and resilient volunteer plants are, and how they acclimate so easily to adverse conditions.

The Apostle Paul often spoke metaphorically about how believers are to “put off” the old self and to “put on” the garments or spiritual values of our new life in Christ. “Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” (Colossians 3:12, NLT).

Paul said, “you must clothe yourselves.” This imperative suggests that embracing our new identity in Christ is something that must be done actively, intentionally, and daily! It requires a conscious choice to allow the Holy Spirit to exhibit, through us, the virtues, and characteristics of Christ. We do not earn our salvation with this choice to “put on” spiritual virtues, but it is our singular and focused response to God’s grace.

Jesus spoke about the importance of humility to citizens of the kingdom of God, “God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.” (Matthew 5:5). When we look back at our lives, we will often see how God steadily blessed and has been at work in us even though the process and progress may seem slow to us.

The Latin root for humble is our word for humus that describes decomposed plant-based enriched soil. How often have we learned life lessons through adversity? As a care pastor and chaplain, I have heard many stories of how God’s grace has given fellow believers the capacity to grow in compassion, kindness, and humility. Tough times become the fertile ground where seeds of goodness can grow in unexpected places.

How often have you observed beautiful changes in our lives that have blossomed from humble and imperceptible seeds in the past that you didn’t even know were planted?

Mike Keppler, retired pastor,
active churchman and
doting grandparent.
Contact: drmjkeppler@gmail.com
©2018-2025 All rights reserved.
Serve by Design. mjkministries.com

 

 

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