Unexpected Beauty

A few weeks ago, our church hosted a small wedding. The couple brought in one flower arrangement for the ceremony; it was a combination of some favourite flowers and some local foliage; it was lovely and unique, and added beauty to the ceremony.

They made the flowers an offering for the church’s Sunday service, to offer their thanks to the congregation and share the beauty.

In shifting the arrangement to the side of the chancel in advance of the service, our musician breathed deeply of the gorgeous flowers and asked me: “Is that dill?”

We were both a bit surprised, taking a more careful look at the flowers, that there was indeed a sprig of dill in the arrangement. While the aroma was unexpected, the flowering green fit with the appearance of the bouquet. We started exploring some more – and noted that amid the roses in the centre and the delphinium at the back, were also some garlic scapes, providing unexpected geometry with their curls.

We laughed; the flowers that had inspired so many compliments for their beauty certainly held some unexpected surprises.

And we appreciated them: for beauty can be found everywhere, if we are able to see it for what it is. And everything can be beautiful, when we see it the way God does.

So I am grateful to the florist whose eye sought beauty, and shared it; I am grateful to the newlyweds, who had asked for something a little different, and who gifted the church with it. And I am thankful to God, for the reminder to celebrate those moments of unexpected beauty that life is so full of.