Better Late Than Never

Happy second day of Christmas! We once had a pastor who emphasized that Christmas isn’t just one day but twelve, and the relative freedom and relaxation that comes from not being so frenzied. There’s also less of a let-down he insisted. That resonated in my spirit.

Not only did we see periwinkles and a few azaleas blooming in the mild Christmas weather (50’s) but daffodils! The buds of the Bradford pear outside the window are also eager to burst forth. The really amazing bloom though is the bud I found on the “bronze-leafed plant”; this is the one that the plant vendor insisted, “Remember, it has to be really hot before it will bloom.” It was really hot last summer but no blooms and now it’s not and it’s beginning to bloom. Oh well, better late than never and I’m glad for flowers any time I can get them!

Maybe this winter won’t be too bad after all. I’ve always strongly disliked winter until I read in Psalms that God created the winter (Psalm 74:17). Since then, I’ve been asking the Lord to teach me how to appreciate winter. My friend the (small) garden center owner says that we need winter to “wipe out the bugs. Without it, they’d take over.” Amen to that!