As she puttered in the garden
tending flowers and plucking weeds,
she noticed a trend occurring
like none she had never seen.
Her garden from ages ago
had bloomed with such pretty flowers
but of late they had faded
and scorched in the Florida sun.
She tried grafting in new flowers
to those that had withered and threatened to die.
Yet none of the grafts had taken
and she about had given up and died.
Then God in His infinite mercy
stooped down and planted anew
a flower like none ever seen
with petals of brilliant hue.
Oh, how she loved this new flower
and tended with love and care.
But she feared that it too would wither
and leave an emptiness there.
He whispered, “My child, won’t you trust me
with this flower so new and so rare?
I have given it with great expectation,
won’t you let me graft it there?”
As He pointed to my heart, I trembled
because grafting is painful and sore.
It desperately leaves you vulnerable
and asks of you so much more.
Though fear overtook my heart,
I knew I wanted it so
and I opened my heart with trepidation
and allowed Him to do His work.
At first the grafting was weak
but as days grew into weeks and more
a flower burst forth in great beauty
promising friendship that would last and grow.
Now summer has faded into fall
and the grafting, oh how sweet the love
that friendship has grown and bloomed
and my heart is content with His gift from above.
Azalea Trees and Tea Rooms 