When I was young I was not impressed when someone bought me flowers as a gift. I felt it was an unnecessary expense and that the money could have been put to better use. That said, I was very happy with a bunch of handpicked homegrown daisies or nasturtiums but the price of bought flowers has always been exorbitant!
Through the years I have, however, reconsidered my stand on the subject. I now love receiving flowers of any kind, bought or picked!
In the Ukraine, I started putting cornflowers in a delft vase on my kitchen windowsill. They could be bought in the market very cheaply and they made me so happy. They represented a little bit of luxury, serenity and vibrancy when I needed it. A vase of flowers carefully positioned draws one’s attention away from the mundane and worn out and lifts you to a place of beauty!
When we moved into L’Abri, the first thing I thought of when planning the day was that I must have flowers! They were my secret coping strategy. I would clean one corner of a room and arrange my flowers on a table or stand. Then stop, maybe have a cup of tea and admire the island of order and beauty amidst the sea of chaos. Next step was to tackle the other corner and repeatedly move my bunch of flowers throughout the room, and before I knew it, the job was done!
Flowers may well be luxuries in a world of brick and mortar but for
me they are a necessary kind of luxury.
They are reminders of Jesus' beautiful presence and fragrance in my often chaotic life.