Finding hidden flowers

My wife and I were sitting on the porch swing the other day. The girls were down for an afternoon nap so the short retreat border lined wonderful! The sun was out. There was a soft breeze. We were looking at the trees in our back yard. I began to look at one particular tree. Don't ask me what kind of tree it is. If I'm certain of one thing in my life it is that I do not have a green thumb. I killed a bush by giving it Miracle Grow! Anyway, as I was looking at this tree I began to notice something that I had never noticed before. In the midst of all of the leaves on the tree, there were the most beautiful flowers. How did I miss these all of this time? This tree that I have passed, mowed around, sat under, and looked at, hundreds of times, has beautiful little flowers. Wow! I cant believe I missed that. You know me. Always ready to learn a lesson from the Lord, I began to think how this was just like something that recently happened to me in my life. There is an acquaintance of mine that I have seen hundreds of times. I really thought this person was just there. No real feelings either way. As a matter of fact, probably more negative feelings than positive feelings for this person. No real reason. Don't ask why. That's not the point. The point is, I had seen this person many, many times and all I saw was the outside. The leaves and the bark as it were. All the times I had seen this person and been around this person, all I ever saw was the "tree". One day though, as I viewed this person for the hundred and first time, I realized something. This "tree" has beautiful flowers. When I let the Lord actually open my eyes to see the inner beauty of this person instead of just viewing the outer "tree", He let me see something that I had never seen before. I was so thankful for that. Then I was very ashamed. This person had done nothing to me to make me miss the flowers. They were there all the time. I missed them because I wasn't looking for them. Oh how terribly sorry I felt. How many blessings from the Lord did I miss because when I was around this person, all I let myself see was the "tree". What could the Lord have done for me if I would have been looking for the "flowers"? Thankfully now I see those flowers and I see this person in a whole new light. I am gaining a new found respect and love for their beauty. Because of this the Lord has blessed me more than once through this person. I am the one who missed the beauty. Shame on me. Thank you Lord for this lesson. Never again will I just look at the "tree" but I will try my hardest to find the "flower" that is your spirit. Help us all to look inside of the heart as you do. Forgive me for not seeing this sooner. To all of you "trees" out there: I promise to do my best to see the hidden "flowers" in all of you. Please do the same to me.

In love:
LW