From my archives —

Ate breakfast on the porch this morning sitting in the swing, surveying my little world. Had a soft wind chime symphony with a few cicada solos. So pretty outside, azure blue sky, lots of fluffy cotton ball clouds, bleached white on their rounded tops, light gray on their bottoms flushed with rain. No rain fell today. Just hot and humid on the landscape. A dull haze settled around the tree line where earth meets the sky. At dusk a gleaming light peach sunset kissed the turquoise clouds goodnight on the horizon. How could you not believe in a higher being when you look upon the breathtaking colors of a glorious sunset.

The song birds have slowed their visits to my feeders. Maybe this heat is generating more bugs and insects for the birds to eat. Only saw cardinals on the feeders today and doves feeding on the ground. The faithful cardinals are always around, getting more scarlet and warm brownish everyday. The juvenile cardinals are trying to shed their childish feathered tweed coats for the mature feathers of adulthood. Still can’t tell the males from the females but they’ll be sorted out soon.

Watched a big hawk swoop down and fly around in the vine covered pergola across the street. I could see its talons hanging down. The hawk was after something, maybe a squirrel or a fat chipmunk. He made several passed through the pergola before he flew off. I could hear the leaves rustling and his wing sounds as he flew around. Hawks are beautiful birds, almost as majestic as an eagle. The hawks and the eagles share a regal pose and dark intelligent eyes.

My bell peppers fainted from the heat this afternoon so they got a cool shower at dusk to revive them. I gave all the flowers a shower, too, and a good drink in their pots. I have a little row of zinnias that came up from last year’s seeds that dropped from the flower heads. I was so happy my yard men didn’t weed eat them down. They were all happily blooming this afternoon, their first blooms of summer, worshipping the hot sun. Gonna cut myself a bouquet tomorrow, early morning when it’s cool.

Mother Nature uses some of her sunset watercolors on the zinnias blooms, painting the blossoms such wondrous colors. They are very happy flowers, nothing bothers them. They tolerate the heat, the lack of rain, and don’t worry about what kind of soil their roots hold them in. They hate water from the hose pipe on their leaves but love a good root drenching.

We might could stand to learn a few lessons from the zinnias. They stand tall and don’t complain. Just as we turn to God for strength, they turn to Mother Nature for sun and water and nutrients. No matter what kind of soil their seeds are sown in they have the determination to put down roots and stand tall. We complain and give up, even when we have all the things necessary to thrive and be happy.

Zinnias give each day a chance and take whatever comes their way. Some days they might be kissed and tickled by a swallowtail butterfly. Other days the fire ants might crawl up their stems and try to take hold of them. But zinnias don’t worry about tomorrow. They put all their energy into their beautiful blooms and have faith that nature will provide what they need.

We live every day with a chance to bloom and shine, to share the colors of our lives with others. No matter where we’re planted, no matter what season of life we’re experiencing, through faith and prayers, like the beauteous zinnia, we can bloom. We can always turn to God for strength. He anchors our roots.

We can breathe deeply because God is in control. Each day is a new beginning, a new chance to put down roots and bloom with life. We don’t need to worry about tomorrow. We need to let go of yesterday. We need to put all our energy into living a prayerful life, understanding that the Lord will provide what ever we need to grow and thrive.

“Open the bloom of your heart and become a gift of beauty to the world.” — Bryant McGill.