“Look for a lovely thing, and you will find it,” wrote Sara Teasdale. “It is not far; it never will be far.” She was right. I never have to go much farther than my backyard to find a little touch of beauty. But yesterday a friend and I drove about an hour away to a dahlia garden. It was a little farther away but totally worth it! Apparently where I live, the end of September is the peak season for dahlias.
Rows and rows of magnificent blossoms swayed on their stems in the autumn sunshine. Each one was complex with hundreds of tiny petals. Some blossoms were perfectly spherical, and others were flat and spiky. Some had two-toned petals or even a stripey look. Others were all one shade with a bright yellow center inviting bumblebees or monarch butterflies.
I wandered up and down the rows for about half an hour, taking many more pictures than I’d intended to. The brilliant blue sky, the soft hum of the bees, the quiet rustle of leaves–all these things were soothing and made me want to stay in the peaceful garden forever. Sadly, real life eventually called me back. I couldn’t bring any dahlias home with me, but I brought photos and memories.
Unfortunately, God doesn’t call most of us to stay in peaceful gardens. Life is rarely peaceful for very long at a time, and there are some days when any beauty is very difficult to find. But even when days are unsettling or ugly, we can run to Him. He helps us find His peace to quiet our hearts even when we can’t see any beauty. He is a master gardener, and His lovely things are never far away.
