In
January 2020, Mount oblate Terry Chamberlain Diehl went to the Mexican border
to work at the Humanitarian Relief Center in McAllen, Texas, and to take
supplies to a refugee camp in Matamoros, Mexico. She told the following story:
“A woman came up and asked us if she could have some empty
milk jugs. Later we discovered why. When we were walking through the tent city,
we saw the same woman using the chocolate milk jugs to bring water from the Rio
Grande River to water some flowers she had planted in the midst of all the
tents. It reminded me of the importance of working with God in his plan for beauty, goodness, and harmony and of 'blooming wherever you're planted.' I'm so impressed with these, our brothers and sisters, and their indomitable spirit of hope."
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The
earth laughs in flowers,” and this woman was partnering with God and the earth
to bring some brightness to the lives of her companions who were living in
difficult circumstances.
My life is nothing like that
of people in refugee camps, but I too have responded with gratitude to the
outpouring of beauty in the flowers gracing the Mount campus in this spring of
the COVID-19 pandemic. Beauty is one of the ways God sustains us, no matter
where we dwell, and it is also how God connects us with each other. Whether or
not we grow flowers, we can make the choice to participate in some way in God’s
plan for beauty, goodness, and harmony.
Wonderful story. I was looking in National Geographic about a story about refugee camps and was surprised to see how they tried to beautify their surroundings, too. I think it's just a natural human trait and I agree with the "Bloom Where You are Planted!" saying. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYes; we seek God and God is in beauty so we seek beauty. It is consoling to me that we keep turning to the true and good even in difficult circumstances. The human spirit is mighty indeed.
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