grow.

The first thing I saw was a card, Trader Joe's Cookie Butter and the cutest little pot of purple flowers. They sat neatly together on the back porch like an old friend welcoming me home. My heart was filled with joy by this sweet friend of mine, who truly knows me and my love for little gifts. The flowers stayed on the back porch during my entire ten day fundraising stint to South Carolina. Each time I sat out there, { which was fairly often } I was reminded of this kindness.

Over the ten days, I was on this back porch almost every morning and every evening. I started my day there sitting in the rocking chairs: reading, writing, drinking coffee, soaking it all in. I ended my day there eating Chuck Salley home-cooked meals, sipping wine while talking and laughing with my parents. The perfect combination of an incredible view, amazing weather and loving company brought a certain sweetness to my soul.

But the flowers. This sweet little pot of flowers taught me something. You see, at the start of each day I noticed something very basic that I had forgotten about flowers: they need the sun to survive. So these flowers would quite literally grow towards the sun. They grew towards the light. Their flimsy stems would bend, their whimsical petals open wide - all to be able to drink in the sun.

They knew what they needed and they fought for it, these brave, strong little flowers. Even when I turned the pot around so that the other side could receive its life source, the steams and leaves and petals would seek the sun. Their fight for sunlight was constant, perhaps grueling. But they never gave up.

These flowers, in their own funny little way, taught me courage. They taught me strength. That even when my world gets turned around and it seems I am facing some darkness, confusion, uncertainty, anxiety - to remember:

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9

Grow towards the Light, oh my soul.