I stopped and looked in near disbelief the other night at this green leafed, white blossomed "engine that could".
When we arrived at this house the spindly little plant greeted us with a drop of hope. Over time we have watered it and trimmed off the finished blooms and tired out growth. It has thanked us in return with bright, white fragrant flowers to lift our spirits and engage our sense of smell in the most pleasant manner.
This gardenia was planted I don't when, by I don't know who, and I must add I don't know what the mystery planter was thinking. Our weather is what a person might compare to the face of the sun during the summer months. So, Mr. Green thumb took his spade and found a space against the house that will heat up to extraordinary temperatures between the house and the side walk. A space about four inches wide and about eight inches deep. The soil is not nutrient rich and yet it has grown. From it's less than ideal environment, the plant decided to live and to flourish beyond expectation--beyond the norm. It didn't wait for good soil, room to spread out, and weather that was kind. It just did it anyway. It looked to it's purpose, it's reason for being and did that. It ignored the circumstances it was planted into and it bloomed, and bloomed, and bloomed. It bloomed where it was planted.
If this plant can do this special thing, why can't we do ours? This overachieving gardenia is not the only one born with purpose or the only one with what it needs to fulfill that purpose.
We have all we need on the inside and we have a heavenly father with the ability, love, and patience to bring our blossoms out for the world to see. To make a difference. To cause the world to pause in awe at the beauty of that purpose on display. Take a page from the gardenia and ignore your atmosphere, defy expectations, simply operate in the purpose you were equipped to do--that you were born for, and unlike the gardenia you will alter your atmosphere.
