"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end" (Ecclesiastes 3:11, niv).

When Stephen was five, he wanted a flowerbed of his own. So I helped him lay out the bed and get the ground ready. I asked him what kind of flowers he wanted to plant. His answer was simple, "Beautiful ones."

The next day after work I picked up several different kinds of bulbs. Stephen was so excited about finally planting his flowers. As he opened the packages the disappointment was all over his face. Stephen looked up and said, "Mama, you got the wrong thing, these are not flowers, they are too ugly too be beautiful."

I assured him that if he would plant the bulbs, and take care of them, they would grow and be the beautiful flowers he wanted them to be. Stephen wasn't at all convinced, but he trusted me and was willing to give it a shot. He planted the bulbs and everyday he watered them and watched to see if they would grow. It seems like yesterday, he was standing there in overalls, hands on his hips, staring at his flowerbed waiting to see something beautiful appear out of the dirt.

Finally, he could see the stems, then the little buds, the day two buds opened up was an amazing day. Stephen came running into the house yelling, "Hurry mama you have got to see my beautiful flowers."

As we stood by the flowerbed Stephen said, "I didn't think they would ever grow, but they did. I growed it beautiful right out of the dirt." Then he slipped his little hand into mine and asked, "Mama, how can something so beautiful come from something so ugly"?

I think of our Heavenly Father watching and waiting for us to come to Jesus, then He can take something ugly and stained with sin, clean us up, guard and love us, as we grow. Then I can see Him standing and proudly looking at us and saying look at My beautiful children, I grew them right out of the dirt.

"Dear God, thank you that you are not only a God of love, justice and mercy, but also a God of infinite beauty. As best I know how I surrender my heart and life to you and as that you will make something beautiful out of my life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."