The Blue Flower and the Wounded Man
READ: PSALM 56:8; ISAIAH 53:3-5; HEBREWS 4:14-16 She was sick and had been for a long time. Her siblings were at school and her parents were at work. All she had to keep her company was the rain tapping at her window. No one understands what it’s like to be sick all the time, she thought. Everyone else is living their lives while I just lay here alone. She squeezed her eyes shut so she wouldn’t cry. Suddenly there was a frantic tapping on her window, much louder than the rain. She opened her eyes and her mouth fell open. Sunlight flooded her room. A tiny bird tapped at her window, darting back and forth. Rolling out of bed and squinting, she looked out to find that her street was gone, replaced by a huge, sprawling garden. Opening her window, she crawled out into the garden beyond. She followed little cobbled paths that wound under trellises covered in thick ivy, through patches of mushrooms as tall as her shoulders, and beside beds of wildflowers dancing with butterflies. Her headache and fever were gone, and her feet felt light as air as she explored. After what seemed like hours, she came upon a bubbling stream and a huge weeping willow that swayed in the breeze. And there she saw him, on a bench beneath the willow. “Do you know where I am?” she asked. He smiled. “You are in my garden.” “But how did I get here?” His eyes twinkled, and she wondered how they could look so sad and so happy at the same time. He didn’t answer her question, but instead he said, “Here, I have something for you.” He held out a brilliantly blue flower. It was her favorite color. She took it, and as she did, she saw deep wounds in the man’s hand. “I’m afraid I must send you home now,” the man told her. “But before I do, I wanted to give you this. Keep it so you can remember that you’re not forgotten. I am always with you.” When she looked up, she saw the pain of her long sickness reflected in the man’s face. She felt tears burning her eyes, so she shut them tight. When she opened them again, the man and the garden were gone, and she was back in bed. What a beautiful dream, she thought, her heart heavy. Her headache and fatigue were returning. As she turned to get more comfortable, she saw something brilliantly blue in a tiny bottle on her bedside table. She caught her breath. It had not been there before. She picked it up, a tear finally escaping her eyes. I am not alone, she thought, I am not forgotten. Gently held in her hand was the blue flower the wounded man had given her. • Margaret Bellers • Can you think of a time you felt like the character in today’s allegorical story, alone and forgotten? Sometimes when we suffer, it can feel like God has forgotten us or doesn’t love us anymore. But the truth is, Jesus draws near to those who are hurting (Psalm 34:18; Matthew 5:4; 11:28-30). Can you think of any ways Jesus has reminded you of His presence and love during hard times? • When Jesus came to earth, He suffered and died as a human. How can knowing that Jesus sees and understands our suffering make it easier for us to draw near to Him and talk to Him about what we’re going through? Consider taking a moment to talk to Him right now. • Terrible things like sickness and loneliness were not part of God’s original design. At the beginning of time, the first humans walked with God in a perfect garden. But then, they sinned, rejecting God’s love and going their own way instead. Sin fractured God’s good creation in deep ways. Because God is holy, He cast the people out of the garden and away from His presence. Yet, in His perfect love, God immediately promised them a coming deliverer. That deliverer is Jesus the Messiah. He...
