Friday, July 15, 2011

Journey of Faith Friday: Will You Accept My Bouquet?

Amber's Articles

Will You Accept My Bouquet?

I have something to offer.  You have something to offer.  We all have SOME.THING. to offer.  

My bouquet is not full of gentleness, empathy, patience, grace, or many others.  But I do have one full of support, prayerfulness, gratitude, discernment, passion, conviction, and steadfastness.


I hope as I continue to give my bouquet away that those who possess a bouquet different than mine will kindly offer me bunches and bunches of new flowers.  I need them.  I long for them and not only I, but those around me.  To offer a more gentle, empathetic shoulder to those in need.  To extend grace to those unlike me facing various circumstances.  To be patient in waiting for a response or change to occur.....

Others may long for a different bouquet from me, but I wonder do they acknowledge the one I am currently offering?  Do I acknowledge theirs?  Or do I just constantly long for that which they currently have so little of?  Do I want the full flower when all they have to offer is a small bud, not yet ready to be pulled up and given away.  More water.  More time.  More maturity.  More weathering.

We all have them...the buds, the young flowers, the fields full.  Whether it be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, leadership, teaching, grace, mercy, service, confidence, compassion, empathy, conviction, steadfastness, encouragement, calmness, and so on.  We all possess them in different shapes and sizes.  Some have a more bold, plentiful bouquet while others have a softer, more gentle bouquet.  Each needed, each beautiful.  The question is, are we giving it away?  Am I, are you, looking at the bouquet's of others, gladly accepting them or wishing it was a different arrangement, a different dozen.


I am guilty!!  I tend to toss out those beautiful bouquets that don't fit my needs, my expectations.  I tend to overlook the precious buds longing for the water He has so graciously given me to give others.  I tend to shove my bouquet in the faces of others and if it's rejected I walk away wounded.  Yet, somehow in the absence of my own grace flower I forgot to look and receive and joyfully display the bouquet they gave me.  And like all flowers I face a cycle of dying, growing again, becoming beautiful, facing flaws, dying, growing....


I pray as the years pass that my bouquet becomes a garden full of flowers.  I pray I will offer and accept them at just the right time.  Until then, I will keep allowing the Gardener to work on me. 

You can read other Journey of Faith Friday posts HERE.

5 comments:

Kay K said...

This is a post that spoke to my heart ! I need to be all those things listed above and not just the ones I like .....

Casey Martinez said...

This was a beautifull written and well expressed post. I love the comparison of the flowers and the bouquet to the gifts and attributes we do or don't have. Different flowers, different bouquets but, we can share with each other and bless and grow with one another along the way.

I have a lot of friends who are not the best encouragers. It is almost awkward at times when I need encouragment so badly that they just don't know what to say....I am an encourager so that is something I guess I tend to notice in other people but, God has really opened my eyes to the other beautiful flowers and bouquets in my friends...givers...my friends are all such inredible givers!! It makes me feel awkward when they give me so many things!! And you know what, the Lord taught me a few years ago to give because of their beautiful giving and they are learning to encourage..yes, giving and share our bouquets!! Love it!

Ashley Sisk said...

What a really great message and something for me to think about. I hope I'm giving mine away...I try to share everyday, but I don't know how intentional I'm being - or maybe I am. Gosh, I don't know.

I did just talk about this with my husband and he would love to be in a position where he doesn't have to manage anyone else but himself but he keeps finding himself in positions where he has to coach someone to doing their job. I told him that he's been given a gift and that God clearly puts him in those positions because he wants him to use that gift. He agreed and said that sometimes obedience is the hardest thing to do regardless of how natural it is.

Mikko Tyllinen said...

Very beautiful!

Kindra said...

This post is one I will read again - so poignant and beautifully written. I really appreciate your bouquet and desire more prayerfulness, discernment and passion in my bouquet. Thank goodness we don't all have the same strengths and weaknesses or we would probably never add any new flowers :)