Peonies and Baby Leaves

Last year my husband, Jerry, planted peonies for me. As a matter of fact, he plants everything for me. Green thumb I am not; admirer I am indeed!

Last June, my friend, Karla Dornacher, shared a post about how God turns our sorrows into joy when He spoke to her after a serious thunderstorm took vengeance on her peony bush. She rescued the blossoms and carefully sprayed the mud from their petals to find none were lost. God showed her we are left broken sometimes from the fury of the winds and rain of this world, but there is always hope as we call out to our Savior. He reaches down from heaven and gently, lovingly lifts up our heads, washes us with His Holy Spirit and Truth and carefully restores us.

I loved her story, and it awakened my love of peonies! The next week Jerry surprised me with five plants! He planted them in three different areas in our yard.

Last week Jerry brought me the good news that it looked like our peonies were alive. Easter weekend I snapped the evidence, below. My anticipation to see if there will be any blooms this first year is high. And that isn’t all that is alive . . .



Can it be coincidence that Easter Sunday morning my baby leaves opened on the maple tree outside my writing room window? I think not. The day in which we celebrate the greatest hope this world has ever known, God opened my baby leaves, giving new life, living hope. See that baby leaf behind the blossoms?



New life is all around me . . . What would we do without spring? Some thoughts to ponder:

“The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring.” Bern Williams

“Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again.” Sarah Ban Breathnach.

“Springs is God’s way of saying hello.” Unknown

“Springtime ... invites you to try out its splendor . . . to believe anew. To realize that the same Lord who renews the trees with buds and blossoms is ready to renew your life with hope and courage.” Charles R. Swindoll

"Science has never drummed up quite as effective a tranquilizing agent as a sunny spring day." W. Earl Hall

“If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom.” Terri Guillemets

"I think that no matter how old or infirm I may become, I will always plant a large garden in the spring. Who can resist the feelings of hope and joy that one gets from participating in nature's rebirth?" Edward Giobbi

Enjoy spring!