It was a lazy Sunday afternoon—a wonderful time for a drive along curvy mountain roads, soaking in the sun and the sights. There it was—it burst before our eyes avalanche style! We had to find a spot beside the narrow road to turn around and take in the sight more fully.
We parked in front of Serendipity Stained Glass on Scenic Highway 197 north of Clarkesville. There are many beautiful pieces of art to see should one actually enter the shop, but on this day God alone provided His handcrafted beauty—hundreds, thousands of daffodils sprinkled densely down the hillside toward the road. They were waving in the gentle breeze displaying their quiet, unassuming grandeur. Their pops of golden color invaded visual space as if to say, “God’s in God’s heaven—all’s right with the world!
I remembered a sermon I heard decades ago—a sermon from the pulpit of the Decatur First Baptist Church. The Reverend Dr. Peter Rhea Jones took his inspiration from the many daffodils dotting the expansive grounds of the church. It was early in the season—the time of year when so often we watch the daffodils appear only to have them frozen by an unexpected chill in the weather.
Dr. Jones was a master of words, and he crafted a sermon title much like some build houses or fashion pieces of furniture. His title for the sermon I remember so vividly was, “The Daring Daffodils of Decatur!”
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all pattern our lives after the daffodils? Wouldn’t it be world-changing if we were all a bit more daring in terms of our outreach to people around us—people who are struggling and need a listening ear or a helping hand? Wouldn’t it revolutionize relationships the world over if we saw everyone as God sees them and if we lived out patterns of love toward others in the way Jesus taught us to love.
Take a look at the daffodils. Remember the “Daring Daffodils of Decatur” or of Winterville or Athens or Atlanta or wherever you live. Ask God to help you be a bit more like the daffodils—being a bit more daring in your acts of kindness toward others that you encounter along your daily path.