THE MORAL OF THE STORY:Each day is like a rose

“A new year is unfolding — like a blossom with petals curled tightly, concealing the beauty within. Lord, let this year be filled with things that are truly good — with the comfort of warmth in our relationships, with the strength to help those who need our help, and the humility and openness to accept help from others. As we make our resolutions for the year ahead, let us go forward with great hope that all things can be possible — with your help and guidance.”

— Anonymous

What if I told you that one of your gifts in this new year is a daily supply of the most beautiful flowers you could imagine? Who wouldn’t love that gift?

I love receiving flowers, I love sending flowers, and I enjoy passing all the different flowers that grace yards and parkways when I go on my morning walks. I enjoy driving to nurseries and walking through the aisles of plants and flowers, and admiring God’s creativity, which is so evident in their beauty and diversity.

God’s creativity is also evident in the way he offers us a new day, every day. Day after day, every morning we wake up to greet a new day of possibilities, a day filled with second chances to do better and be better.

Each new day is a new bud boasting a future blossom, and every day we have choices to make to encourage and ensure healthy blossoms.

As I write this column, I glance out occasionally to my rose garden, which surprises me with its buds and beauty on this chilly winter morning.

The roses stand proudly, and I am especially enchanted by a half-open bud. It is yellow on the inside, but the colors slowly change to pink on the outside edges, melting from one to the other much like brilliant sunsets.

The new year is filled with possibilities, and we can be filled with peace and hope because of God. God knows our names, he knows our needs, and he is anxious to give his help and guidance in the year ahead.

God is the master gardener, and with him, each day is like a colorful and fragrant bud that can slowly unfold, revealing the beauty within.

And you can quote me on that.