For many years an elderly lady in our neighborhood was noted for her beautiful tulip garden, Just passing by the colorful display made the heart want to sing; her garden represented earth's beauty at its best.
Next door to her was the unkempt home of an old bachelor. His fence was battered and broken, weeds shot up everywhere, and the paint was peeling.
Such extremes of appearance, it seems, could not coexist for long. Neighbors wondered why the elderly lady didn't complain or make a phone call to city officials. Yet no confrontation ever occurred. The beautiful tulip garden and the messy yard remained the same year after year.
But this spring an odd thing happened. As I drove down the street, I was surprised to see a few brilliantly colored rows of tulips in front of the old man's house. The rest of the yard still looked like a disaster, but
those new, gorgeous tulips stood out. Curious, I stopped my car and walked up to the lady's home. She was outside weeding her flowers.
"Hello!" I greeted her. "I've always admired your beautiful tulips."
"Well, thank you," she said, smiling in a way that made those gray-blue eyes of hers twinkle. "If you will wait a minute, I will cut some for you to take home. They don't last long, mind you, but they sure brighten up a room!"
Within a few minutes, she had cut a dozen gorgeous blooms for me. I thanked her and then said, "I noticed your neighbor planted tulips, too."
"Oh, no," she said, winking at me. "I planted those for Mr. James. He lost his wife a few years ago, and his children have all grown and moved faraway. He lives such a bitter, lonely life," she sighed. "I call that my plot of hope."
"A plot of hope?" I asked, not sure what she meant.
"Yes, to give him back the hope that his own home can be beautiful again, that there is still goodness in life, and to let him know that Jesus loves him just as much as He loves me."
I clutched my bouquet of tulips and left that garden feeling I had learned much more about the meaning of brotherly love.
Dear Lord, remind me that handling a matter wisely is to do so with kindness. Let me offer hope instead of criticism. In Jesus name, Amen
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." (Galations 5:20)
Author Unknown
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