Luke 12:34 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Since moving to San Diego in 2002, and being able to blossom in my faith, now planted, rather then being kept as a bulb in a bag, waiting for my chance to grow, my faith in Christ has taken over my entire life. Growing is a very slow processes and we don’t always see the daily effects until after the flower has opened to view its beauty. When we do take the time, we learn how to cultivate it. Nurture it and prolong the growing for a bigger and richer harvest.

Last summer, I was grocery shopping and came across cut bunches of peony’s. They were so beautiful and I was taken back to my childhood, in my mothers garden and then again in my grandmothers garden back in the Midwest. Peony’s don’t grow where I live now so seeing them was such a delight that I HAD to have a couple of bunches. They were not cheep. I wanted them. The scent of them was so wonderful! I placed them in the cart and finished shopping. As I began to load the groceries into the car, I was overcome with the thought that I had to go to Adoration and pray before going home.

I finished loading up the truck and headed down the street, passing the turn for my home and headed straight to church. As I pulled into the lot, I didn’t want to go empty handed. The peony’s I had purchased, were right next to me. I smiled, thinking they ALL need to be here, and began to open the two bags containing the bunches, gathered each of them all up and brought them with me into Adoration for our Lord.

I placed them into a vase that was already in the room, in front of our Lord and smiled, knowing full well, He wanted me there and I came. I prayed only for a few moments, kissed the tabernacle and left our Lord with SO much peace. I couldn’t hold back my smile. As I was walking back to my truck, I thought of how I didn’t need the flowers. I needed that time with Him and was so grateful for it because nothing can fill that void in your soul, but Him. Not flowers, money, beauty nothing! With Him, you have everything. You only need Him.

I climbed back into my truck, smiling and at peace, and looked down to find laying across the seat, just one peony. I was moved to tears. I thanked our Lord for giving me one. It took my breath away. I cried the whole way home. I placed that one peony in a tiny vase and it brought me more joy then a thousand of them and still does to this very day.