This blog post has been cooking for almost two months. Sigh.
For my birthday, which was the 1st of February, I was gifted the cutest bouquet of natural white flowers. They were given to me by the Kingdom Vessels; the most dynamic and interesting group I’ve ever been a part of. You can read more about us here.
First of all, I was shocked at the gift; because they had already gifted me something entirely different a few days earlier and that sufficed. But this was a sweet gesture that lit up my week.
When I got this gift, I remember saying to myself; “These flowers will never die. I will take care of them and nurture them.” I will not keep you in suspense. That did not happen.
The flowers came wrapped in a package that contained a card of instructions labeled "Flower Care". These instructions outlined how I could successfully manage / maintain the natural flowers.
That was really cool to me. I was given a gift, and with it, instructions on how to fully utilize, experience and preserve it. 🤔
I don’t know if that is characteristic of all florists, but it is characteristic of most gadgets we purchase. We get a manual. It shows us the various features, what you can use it for, and what you cannot use it for.
As expected, the first few days in managing the bouquet was great. I did what I was supposed to do, changing the water daily, trimming the petals, etc. After the third day, I felt the flowers were not getting enough sunlight in the middle of the hall. So I moved them to the dining table, close to the windows, so they can get more sunlight. That was where things started to have a downward spiral.
From then on, it was back to regular settings in life. I consistently forgot about the things I needed to do to tend and keep the flowers. Before long, the water in the vase darkened and the beautiful white petals discoloured.
The entire experience just taught me a lot about following careful instructions to maintain something. Even more, I was reminded about how to include new habits / resolves in my everyday routine. Things cannot go back to normal if I want to accommodate a new role / responsibility/ gift.
I quickly realised and accepted that taking care of the flowers was a lot of work, and required dedication. Probably, dedication I didn't have the patience to excercise. I don't think I was fully conscious of that, even though I had read the instructions and knew what I needed to do. I got distracted with life; my everyday routine and responsibilities and neglected the additional responsibilities of taking care of the flowers,
Eventually, this is how they turned out:
and it taught me a lesson that I thought I knew - but hadn't realised I didn't know. The gifts and responsibilities God gives us come with a set of required actions to maintain, grow and improve them.
Apart from the fact that I may need to seek out what these instructions are, I realised I need to have the discipline to act on those instructions. I can testify to the fact that most times, I don't usually know what instructions I need to follow in certain seasons of my life. And that is okay. For a while.
As long as I go back to the master and inquire, it is okay to not have all the answers. I have to seek them out. In some cases, after I have sought guidance on what I need to do, I have lacked the discipline to follow through with action.
I initially intended to write this blog post to prompt my reading community about the need to look out for the instructions attached to their gifts, responsibilities, roles (in the office, in families, in churches) and be mindful to follow them.
Now, I realise that this was for me.
It is my prayer that we will utilise the grace God has made available for us to be discipline enough to follow the instructions we receive concerning various aspects of our lives.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you were blessed.