A TALE OF TWO HOUSES
by David Langerfeld
He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso
trusteth in the Lord, happy is he. Proverbs 16:20
For many years an elderly lady in our neighborhood was noted
for her beautiful tulip garden, just passing by the colorful
display made the heart want to sing; her garden represented
earth's beauty at its best.
Next door to her was the unkept home of an old bachelor.
His fence was battered and broken, weeds shot up everywhere,
and the paint was peeling.
Such extremes of appearance, it seems, could not coexist for
long. Neighbors wondered why the elderly lady didn't complain
or make a phone call to city officials. Yet no confrontation
ever occurred. The beautiful tulip garden and the messy yard
remained the same year after year.
But this spring an odd thing happened. As I drove down the
street, I was surprised to see a few brilliantly colored rows
of tulips in front of the old man's house. The rest of the yard
still looked like a disaster, but those new, gorgeous tulips
stood out. Curious, I stopped my car and walked up to the
lady's home. She was outside weeding her flowers.
"Hello!" I greeted her. "I've always admired your beautiful
tulips."
"Well, thank you," she said, smiling in a way that made those
gray-blue eyes of hers twinkle. "If you'll wait a minute,
I'll cut some for you to take home. They don't last long,
mind you, but they sure brighten up a room!"
Within a few minutes, she had cut a dozen gorgeous blooms
for me. I thanked her and then said, "I noticed your neighbor
planted tulips, too."
"Oh, no," she said, winking at me. "I planted those for Mr.
James. He lost his wife a few years ago, and his children
have all grown and moved faraway. He lives such a bitter,
lonely life," she sighed. "I call that my plot of hope."
"A plot of hope?" I asked, not sure what she meant.
"Yes, to give him back the hope that his own home can be
beautiful again, that there is still goodness in life, and to
let him know that God loves him just as much as He loves me."
I clutched my bouquet of tulips and left that garden feeling
I had learned much more about the meaning of brotherly love.
Dear Lord, remind me that handling a matter wisely is to do
so with kindness. Let me offer hope instead of criticism.
Amen.
-- from Proverbs for Busy Women
by Starlette L Howard
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