Tenacity

The other day I was casually looking out the office window at some large bunches of daffodils popping up by the wall of the preschool. Marion noticed me and said, "You're looking at the daffodils, eh? They come up through the pavement every year." I took a closer look and saw that the daffodils were not just coming up by the edge of the parking lot as I had assumed, but were, indeed, coming up through the pavement itself.

Marion continued, "They were planted there on some grass by the building but when they paved the parking lot, they paved right up to the foundation and the flowers got paved right under. But the next spring they came up right through the pavement anyway."

Kind of amazed that daffodils had the ability to come up through thick cement, I asked, "How long ago were they paved under?"

"Oh, I don't know," Marion said. "Must be thirty years ago or more."

As I marvelled at the tenacity and longevity of these tough bulbs, (notice that these 30+ year old pavement-defying daffodils are not even a bit spindly) I immediately saw a parallel with Grace Church itself. No matter what has been paved under here in the last few decades, something beautiful continues to tenaciously bloom right through the layers of concrete. The Spirit is still undeniably alive and strong among us despite any of our past losses or conflicts, and I often notice it blooming with great beauty in the most unlikely places around here.

After hearing this story from Marion, I figured I really hadn't needed to preach an Easter sermon this year. I could have just led everyone outside to look at these daffodils, which despite being completely buried in their tomb of concrete, rose up in new life, and continue to do so year after year. Their courageous, sunny faces seem to be crying out, "Nothing is impossible with God!"