Ordinary Days -- Surprising Grace

      Last weekend Bill kindly transported me and my necessities to our lake house for a few days, as he has throughout my illness. This time I had a surprise waiting on my screened porch. It's the summer home of two unusual plants I fondly call "George and Gracie." They're both in the cactus family, and so their "leaves" (if you can even call them that) are rather gangly and not particularly attractive. That especially goes for George, which is a night-blooming cereus. He was actually named by a friend who encountered "him" during a winter visit, when "he" was living in the house: my friend was actually rather disturbed by his awkward appearance, which takes up a huge space, difficult to place indoors at all. But I knew Goerge's secret: once a year he produces the most extraordinary bloom I have ever seen. It begins as a tiny swelling on one of his veins, and slowly over weeks, it develops into the oddest shaped bud that just seems to keep growing beyond anything in the natural realm. It's so rare to witness, because it happens late at night and is over by morning. Yes, I admit, it even gives me a bit of a chill to witness this other-worldly production! 

      Well, I knew George had bloomed earlier in the summer, because I had found spent blossoms on a previous visit to the lake. I was surprised and thrilled to discover this time that the plant was gifting me with another show, and from the looks of it I was pretty certain it would be the night after my arrival. Sure enough, throughout the next afternoon and evening I watched the bud stem slowly turn up to position itself for the best showing of its finery. I was especially excited, because I had missed the display the past several years. My patience was richly rewarded: by 9 PM the huge bud started to open, and I began to inhale the exquisite fragrance unlike any other I've ever experienced. Slowly, slowly, the treasure revealed itself and was fully exposed by about 10:00. I went to bed reveling in the sight and smell I had just been privileged to witness. Sweet dreams indeed!

      It's interesting to note that that the "common" name of this plant is "Christ in the Manger." I hope you can see in the photo above that indeed, the outer petals resemble a brilliant star, and nestled inside is what looks like a cradle containing a swaddled baby with a halo glowing around its head. What a perfect representation of our Savior's surprising gift: this exquisite, indescribable grace He brings in such an ordinary package!  And it has to be experienced by each one personally! I can't possibly convey to you in words or even pictures the experience of watching this flowering miracle unfold. Just ask my sister-cousin Margie, who was privileged to share this moment with me last weekend: I could invite her, lead her to the gift, but she had to accept the invitation and experience it herself. She could have stayed home and missed it altogether. 

      Just so, we have the extraordinary Gift of Salvation waiting to reveal Himself to us, if we will only open His Book, then open our hearts. It's nothing special, a book with many different coverings, on ordinary pages of paper and ink. But oh, the treasure waiting to be discovered within, IF we open our hearts and minds to its wisdom. 

      From "The Complete Jewish Bible": Isaiah 53   

2And he came up like a sapling before it, and like a root from dry ground, he had neither form nor comeliness; and we saw him that he had no appearance. Now shall we desire him?		בוַיַּ֨עַל כַּיּוֹנֵ֜ק לְפָנָ֗יו וְכַשֹּׁ֙רֶשׁ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ צִיָּ֔ה לֹא־תֹ֥אַר ל֖וֹ וְלֹ֣א הָדָ֑ר וְנִרְאֵ֥הוּ וְלֹֽא־מַרְאֶ֖ה וְנֶֽחְמְדֵֽהוּ:
3Despised and rejected by men, a man of pains and accustomed to illness, and as one who hides his face from us, despised and we held him of no account.		גנִבְזֶה֙ וַֽחֲדַ֣ל אִישִׁ֔ים אִ֥ישׁ מַכְאֹב֖וֹת וִיד֣וּעַ חֹ֑לִי וּכְמַסְתֵּ֚ר פָּנִים֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ נִבְזֶ֖ה וְלֹ֥א חֲשַׁבְנֻֽהוּ:
4Indeed, he bore our illnesses, and our pains-he carried them, yet we accounted him as plagued, smitten by God and oppressed.		דאָכֵ֚ן חֳלָיֵ֙נוּ֙ ה֣וּא נָשָׂ֔א וּמַכְאֹבֵ֖ינוּ סְבָלָ֑ם וַֽאֲנַ֣חְנוּ חֲשַׁבְנֻ֔הוּ נָג֛וּעַ מֻכֵּ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים וּמְעֻנֶּֽה:
5But he was pained because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; the chastisement of our welfare was upon him, and with his wound we were healed.		הוְהוּא֙ מְחֹלָ֣ל מִפְּשָׁעֵ֔נוּ מְדֻכָּ֖א מֵֽעֲוֹֽנוֹתֵ֑ינוּ מוּסַ֚ר שְׁלוֹמֵ֙נוּ֙ עָלָ֔יו וּבַֽחֲבֻֽרָת֖וֹ נִרְפָּא־לָֽנוּ:
6We all went astray like sheep, we have turned, each one on his way, and the Lord accepted his prayers for the iniquity of all of us.		וכֻּלָּ֙נוּ֙ כַּצֹּ֣אן תָּעִ֔ינוּ אִ֥ישׁ לְדַרְכּ֖וֹ פָּנִ֑ינוּ וַֽיהֹוָה֙ הִפְגִּ֣יעַ בּ֔וֹ אֵ֖ת עֲו‍ֹ֥ן כֻּלָּֽנוּ:
7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he would not open his mouth; like a lamb to the slaughter he would be brought, and like a ewe that is mute before her shearers, and he would not open his mouth.