Sunday Morning Drive

“The Earth Laughs in Flowers-” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Okay.

There are days that have burdened me with unbearable sadness.

Days in recent months that convinced me that I could never possibly find joy again.

Joy can come in unexpected moments.

This morning rather than sitting in a brick and mortar church I went for a Sunday drive and headed out of the city down a secondary backroad that ran parallel to an old railroad track. Old farmhouses and an industrial park and untended farm fields lined either side of the road as I drove along in the early morning hours.

Ah! In the distance, to my right I saw a field glistening with lemony yellow sunflowers lifting their deep green stalks towards the turquoise summer sky.

In stunned silence, I thought it was an illusion.

But, alas, God has crowned his earth with beauty so perfect and so complete that it leaves us speechless.

So, I walked among the lemony yellow sunflowers and the fields of pink zinnias, yellow and orange marigolds, and white and pink snapdragons.

Standing among the glorious flowers I envisioned that heaven must look exactly like this glorious garden. I found out that a family of farmers cultivate the flowers along with watermelons, cantaloupes and a variety of vegetables.

They allow visitors to cut a bouquet of flowers (for a minimum price, of course).

I collected a variety of flowers and now that bouquet is beautifully adorning my dining room table. Every time I look at it I will be reminded of just how beautiful this world is; I will be reminded that joy can come in unexpected moments.

I will be reminded of how my heart healed and laughed at that tiny joyous sparkle of roadside beauty.

Indeed Emerson was correct when he noted that the earth laughs in flowers.

The earth in its beauty brings laughter to our hearts and heals our suffering souls.

So, go for a drive and seek out the little roadside surprises that await.

Be watchful of unexpected blessings.

I feel blessed by this day. I feel blessed by this day that God has made.

I feel joy in my heart and I can face whatever is coming in my life because I know there will always be flowers blooming in the rich dark soil.

And I can always take a Sunday drive.

Jenny W. Andrews copyright 2024

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jennygracespoetryandcreativewritingtechniques

I am a published poet and short story writer. I have been published in SNHU's the penmen review. https://penmenreview.com/author/jenny-andrews is the link where you can find my poetry and a short story. Currently, I am writing a collection of short stories, and a collection of poetry. I am trying my hand at writing a novel. Well, not a novel, actually. Make that two novels. My passion is writing. My inspiration is Franz Krafka because he managed to see the absurdity of life. Life is all about perspective and who is telling the story. We all see this life through the lens of our experiences. Literature should inspire us to think, to analyze, and to get lost in unfamiliar worlds in which we learn something new about this human existence. It is my hope that my writing challenges the reader to think, and to see a different perspective, as well as be entertained. My faith in Jesus strengthens me and gives me the courage to survive the twists and turns of this life. My faith influences a lot of my writing in that goodness always triumphs over evil, in that love conquers all. I hope you enjoy reading my blog.

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