Driving on the secondary highways in the mountains of East Tennessee, I observed along the edge of the road bright blue wildflowers growing randomly for stretches of miles. The color stood out against the grass and weeds that likewise grew along the roads. Large mowers cut back the growth at appropriate intervals in warm weather, and then shortly afterwards the wildflowers would reappear much to my delight.

When I returned to Goshen in 2018, I was happily surprised to see the same flowers growing along the county roads in the area. One day I shared with my care receiver about these flowers, curious about their name. She grabbed a pair of utility scissors out of the kitchen drawer and her cane, and we headed outside. Leaving her safely in the driveway, I quickly walked along the highway to a large clump of these flowers and cut several stems. There are no shoulders on these roads, and drivers regularly speed by traveling above the posted limit. I wasted no time getting back to the driveway with a small bundle of the beautiful blooms in hand. At the end of the work day, I carried them home and transferred them into a vase.

The flowers lasted for several days before finally wilting and dropping their petals. The buds on some of the stems opened for a short time and then faded. I carried the dead blooms outside and placed them on the ground next to a pile of weeds that had previously been pulled at the edge of the property.

Summer changed to fall, and then winter followed. The polar vortex came and went, and we survived the dangerous weather, with wind chills down to -30 degrees. I stayed inside for three whole days and nights, as did the majority of the population, and prayed. Thankfully, I stayed warm and did not lost electricity or heat.

Spring arrives late in Michiana. Winter appears reluctant to yield to the arrival of the next season, and not much changes on the landscape until May. The sidewalk in front of my apartment borders on the gravel parking lot for the property. There is a small area of grass to the right of my door that has to be mowed occasionally. When the grass began to grow, I was amazed to see blue wildflowers appearing in this small yard space! At first, they grew on tall thin stems, as along the highways, but after being mowed down a couple of times, they grew back short and spread across the grass. I was so excited! As I gazed at the blooms in awe, James 1:17 came to mind, that says every good and perfect gift comes from above. In the past I thought this verse was referring to the big moments in life, the important events in life, but during these past few years I have grown to understand that every good moment, every pleasant experience, every simple pleasure in life are gifts of love from our Creator.

I have thanked God for this beautiful gift of wildflowers growing outside my door many times. Only God knew this would make me happy. The flowers returned this year and have bloomed throughout the summer and are still in bloom now, though the temperatures have dropped into the 50s-60s. He knows how to remind us of His presence and encourage us with his kindness, perfect gifts from Above.