I first noticed it on a hot, July evening when the moon was full and bright. Several beautiful, large white flowers, emitting a fragrant perfume, were blooming on one of the cactus plants in our front yard. The following morning, when I took my family outside to show them this stunning sight, not a single blossom remained.
I soon discovered that this was a Night-blooming Cereus, called the "Queen of the Night". The flowers for this remarkable plant not only bloom just at night, but each one for only one night. Imagine - their one moment of glory and hardly anyone sees it.
I can relate to that. As a stay-at-home mom, I often feel I do my best work when no one's around to know. Such as when I find the magical combination of stain remover and elbow grease that saves my son Ross' favorite shirt from ruin. Or I call every Burger King in Phoenix finally to unearth the last remaining doll from the current Disney movie, the only thing Maria wants for her birthday. Nobody sees my moments of glory either, and sometimes I wonder about the merits of so much blooming in the dark.
But watching the Queen of the Night more carefully, I've noticed something wonderful. Come morning, after the flower closes, from it grows a bright red fruit, a delicacy for birds and small animals and the source of the seeds for new growth. It's the tiniest part of a great cycle just as it's supposed to be, just as God has planned it.
It's the same for me. The little things I do for my family, the many tasks whose nearly invisible results help make our life together run more smoothly, are my contribution to the plan God has mapped out for us, and as I watch the fruits of my work grow strong, the rewards -- a smile, a giggle, a thank you -- are the tiny seeds that inspire me joyfully to begin the process anew each day.
~ From The Inspiration List
