“Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds . . . perch in its branches.”

— Matthew 13:32

The door opened, and in walked a woman I did not know. She explained that she was from a business downtown that had recently received the Terrific Tuesday Award. (Our church sends a bouquet of flowers each week to a different business or organization in town to encourage the staff and let them know that the church is praying for them that week.) She said she needed to stop in and share her story. The owner of the business had recently been admitted to the hospital with a terminal illness, and the employees were trying to deal with that news when the flowers arrived. The woman said she had been praying and that when the flowers came, she was reassured that God was listening and in control. She wanted to thank us for our part in offering them hope at this difficult time. She also asked if we would continue to pray for the business owner, who was now in palliative care. This helped me realize how we need to remember that God is always at work in the details of our lives. When we began sending flowers on Tuesdays, we had no idea how often it might create an opportunity for sharing God’s love and peace. But it helped make connections we hadn’t imagined, and we were able to pray and share with people who needed hope and encouragement. Jesus used it to show up in people’s lives. 

Dear Lord, thank you for opportunities to reach out to all kinds of people so that, like a mustard seed, your kingdom will grow. Amen.