Weeds, Flowers, Children--All Gifts

So with the temperatures starting to rise as Spring begins to show it's signs of life around here, I can't help but smile every time my two little children pick me flowers.  My thrift and daffodils have been in full bloom all month, along with several varieties of flowering weeds=)  Weston and Savannah both find the greatest joy in running around and gathering handfuls of flowers and presenting them to me with contagious smiles and tangible excitement.  There is nothing more precious than watching these two carefully choose the flowers they pick for mommy.  My mommy heart melts with every gift.  I can't help but reflect though on these gifts and be grateful for a God who smiles too.

How many times do I come to God with a bouquet full of weeds?  Half-completed attempts at service.  Failed attempts at showing His love.  Barely missed opportunities to share His word, on the tip of my tongue as a moment passes.  Every now and then, a real flower makes it into the bunch.  An honest conversation with a friend that brings encouragement.  An opportunity to share how God has been working in your life.  But let's be honest, in the yard of life, most of what we bring to the Lord are weeds and not flowers.  Yet, I believe he still melts and smiles anyways.

Why?  For the same reason He accepted Able's offering and not Cain's.  It has nothing to do with the actual offering you bring, so much as it has to do with the state of your heart when you bring the offering.  Despite what we'd like to believe, the motive of your heart matters to God.  If my children were drudging around the yard and brought me a bouquet of flowers with sulking attitudes and a I-don't-even-know-why-I'm-doing-this look on their face, I not only wouldn't go through any lengths to keep the flowers, I would be saddened that they even wasted their time if it brought them no joy.

 

I've discovered in my life that this is often how I weigh what I do and where I serve.  There are a million good things to do for the Lord, to serve Him in many ways.  But what brings me joy?  What lights me up on the inside when I am serving in this or that capacity?  That's the thing that will honor my God, and most likely it is the thing that will require the most sacrifice out of me, but my heart will be right, and my motives pure, so any weeds I may bring Him along the journey will be offered with all the contagious smiles and tangible joy a child of God can offer.

And I believe, He will put them in a glass of water right alongside the real flowers to show them off to a world who's looking for authenticity and not just a pretty arrangement.  I trust that my God knows how to arrange all my weeds--shortcomings, sins, mistakes, failures, missed opportunities, words not spoken--into an arrangement with all my flowers that is good, and pleasing, and perfect according to His will.  After all, He loves me unconditionally even more so than I love my little munchkins:)