Our peacock is molting. So begins one of the more bittersweet stages of summer.
Bitter because our peacock boasts a truly glorious tail. Indigo, forest green, and royal purple blend into a fan measuring six feet long. When he struts his stuff--he earns the name peacock, rightfully.
Sweet because we gather the fallen feathers and group them in a vase for a beauteous touch inside.
I'm always a tad disappointed as we gather the feathers. Each feather has only a few strands of color. Scrawny and tattered, I wonder how they could ever have seemed so beautiful. Yet, as the vase fills, the beauty grows. When full, the vase evokes gasps from friends who visit. "Where did you get those," they beg. Few can believe we gather the feathers from our yard each year insisting instead they must have come from some boutique.
I think our family life can mimic the peacock. Individual moments can seem tattered, frail, half-done. Refuse to view each moment in isolation. A vacation that went awry. A birthday party where the cake decorations ran. A conversation that didn't quite resolve all the issues. Instead, give yourself fully to today--following God's guidance for your family. Though each moment may not seem stellar, the story you write will gather tattered moments together over a lifetime to create a life of beauty.
Please join us to encourage each other with your insights, remembering to keep comments uplifting and considerate of all. Click on 'comments' above to discuss this month's topic.