By Carol Round – “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another” – 1 Peter 4:10 (NLT).
In late spring, I purchased a small plant on a close-out sale. The tag stated it was a Morning Glory vine. I love the cheerful flowers but have not grown one in over ten years. The plant had been a gift from a friend.
Anticipating blooms of pink, purple or blue, I was disappointed when nothing happened. By early August, there were still no blooms popping up. However, each morning, I noticed spent blooms drying up on the vine.
I said something to a neighbor. Because the trellis the vine twined around was facing the southwest, she thought the plant was getting too much sun. I continued to water it, but I only saw dried-up, white flowers each morning.
The Gift of Patience
I was about to give up on the vine and pull it up when one evening, after hearing a noise outside, I peeked outside my front window. Glancing around the front yard, my eyes finally landed on the trellis near my front porch. I gasped when I saw the huge white flowers covering the vine. It was dark outside, but the flowers were in full bloom.
Immediately, I thanked God for the gift of this beautiful plant. I’d never seen a plant bloom after dark. Stepping out onto my front porch, I snapped photos and posted them on my Facebook page, asking friends to help me identify the mystery plant.
Several friends commented on its beauty. Others identified it as a Moonflower. After research, I discovered Morning Glories and Moonflowers are in the same plant family but have different blooming habits and appearances.
The Gift of a Mistake
When I purchased the plant, I never expected to be gifted with the sight of a vine with huge white flowers blooming in the dark. Someone’s mistake brought me joy.
Just as the Morning Glory Vine and Moonflower are part of the same plant family, each has distinct characteristics. One brings joy in the morning; the other brings joy in the evening.
In the same way, God has given each of us different spiritual gifts to promote the “common good” of the body of Christ. (See 1 Corinthians 12:7) Our gifts are not meant for us, but to serve others. At the same time, we experience the joy of giving and fulfilling a purpose greater than ourselves.
I always love hearing from my readers. Please e-mail me at [email protected] with your thoughts or visit my blog for more inspiration at www.carolaround.com. If you need a speaker or workshop leader, contact me at the above e-mail address or through my website. I’d be delighted to hear from you.
Photo by Peter Bryan on Unsplash.
