Hallowed be Thy name

After she finished breakfast, Katie rushed to put on her shoes. A new day is always full of wonderful surprises for a little girl. 

When Katie went outside, she saw that the field behind her house sprouted the most beautiful flowers she had ever seen. They reminded her of the bouquet of flowers their neighbor Molly brought over last week. She remembered how much her mother enjoyed those flowers.

Katie ran into the field and began to pick a bouquet for her mom. Because Katie really wanted to show her mother how much she loved her, she spent all morning trying to find the most beautiful flowers in the field.

Molly stood and stretched. Gardening is hard work, but her beautiful roses were the reward. Everyone loved them and that made her feel good. Molly looked over the fence, into the field behind her house. She spotted Katie Larson playing. When she saw Katie she thought of Marcia. “Marcia loves my roses and she hasn’t felt well. I will take over a bouquet. Perhaps they will cheer her up.”

Molly prepared some of her best roses to take over to her neighbor. An hour later she knocked on the door. Marcia answered. She saw Molly and the roses. She smiled and said, “Oh, Molly, these are absolutely beautiful. Come in and have some iced tea with me.”

The two neighbors sipped their tea and chatted. The morning sipped away. Katie rushed in just as Molly was about to leave. Katie was hot, dirty and sweaty. Her dirty hands grasped a bunch of weeds, a simple bouquet of wild flowers. Katie’s face beamed with the love she felt for her mother. She reached out to give her heart felt expression of love to her mother. The picture suddenly transformed.

Through the eyes of love the hot, dirty and sweaty little girl became a princess. Through the eyes of love the wilting, smelly weeds became the most beautiful bouquet either of the women had ever seen.

Many times our feeble efforts to honor God are like wildflower bouquets offered in love by a dirty, sweaty child. Love, true love transforms them. When our weed bouquets are a heartfelt expression of our love for God, there is nothing more glorious. They are even more wonderful than the angel’s greatest hymns!

“Our Father, Who art in Heaven…” help us to honor Your Name.

By Debi Bell