A story is told of a king who went to his garden one morning, only to find everything withered and dying. He asked the oak tree that stood near the gate what the trouble was. The oak said it was tired of life and determined to die because it was not tall and beautiful like the pine tree. The pine was troubled because it could not bear grapes like the grapevine. The grapevine was determined to throw his life away because it could not stand erect and produce fruit as large as peaches. The geranium was fretting because it was not tall and fragrant like the lilac.
And so it went throughout the garden. Yet coming to a violet, the king found it's face as bright and happy as ever and said, "Well, violet, I'm glad to find one brave little flower in the midst of this discouragement. You don't seem to be the least disheartened." The violet responded, "No, I'm not. I know I'm small, yet I thought if you wanted an oak or a pine tree or a peach tree or even a lilac; you would have planted one. Since I knew you wanted a vilolet, I am determined to be the best little violet I can be." - L.B. Cowman
This little story really blew me away! For someone who has spent most of her life in the trap of comparison it brought much healing and blew the doors off all the lies! I read this little devotional back in January and ever since then it's been on my heart to share it. Now, everyday I wake up and say, "Lord, I am determined to be the best Charity I can be." For if God wanted me to be like anyone else He would have created me that way!
Hollywood and the world is constantly shoving down our throats what our "image" should be. Basically they are trying to make everyone think they all need to be a rose when we were all created different. We were not all created to be tall, thin, and tan. Some of us are short, some tall, some lanky, some stout. Some of us have red hair, some blonde, some brown. God created each one of us with a unique look. AND, He created each one of us with a unique combination of talents and gifts. While some of us may have similiar gifts not one of us has the same combination. He created us with different temperments, personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. He created a garden of variety!
Have you ever received a present beautifully decorated? While the wrapping may be beautiful to look at it's really what is inside the package that counts. Say you receive a present wrapped in brown paper. Not so pretty to look at. But inside is a laptop!! You receive another present beautifully wrapped, wonderful colors, pretty bows but inside is a pair of socks. (Not that I don't like a good pair of socks..hehe...but you get the idea)
THE VALUE LIES WITHIN!!!!
So, let us all just focus on who we were created to be and stop trying to be someone or something else. Let us be the best garden our king could ask for ☺
We are all special, unique, and beautiful!
Beautiful! This reminded me of St. Theresa of Lisieux who saw the world as God's garden with each person being a different kind of flower which Jesus delighted in. In her biography A Story of a Soul she wrote
ReplyDelete"Jesus set before me the book of nature. I understand how all the flowers God has created are beautiful, how the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not take away the perfume of the violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy. I understand that if all flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty, and the fields would no longer be decked out with little wild flowers. So it is in the world of souls, Jesus' garden. He has created smaller ones and those must be content to be daisies or violets destined to give joy to God's glances when He looks down at His feet. Perfection consists in doing His will, in being what He wills us to be."