The air in the greenhouse was damp and sweet, heavy with the promise of springtime.
I’d stopped by Everett’s Florist in Monroe, GA to buy ferns for the front porch.
I picked out eight of my favorites.
Carrying them two at a time, I walked through the the floral shop and sensed a deep awareness in my soul as if God said,
Listen with your heart, Julie. There’s a message here.
I’d been coming to Everett’s every April for years. There was a new woman behind the counter, and the shop looked different.
There was something tender in the atmosphere~
Like finding newborn kittens in a barn~
The promise of sweet things to come~
Something that went beyond trinkets~
As if the place had been transformed from a house to a home.
“You’ve rearranged things. I love the wide, open space.”
“Thank you,” she said. “My name’s Laurel. I just bought the business from my parents.”
There was beauty all around me.
I loved the restored door.
The wooden ladder.
The hydrangeas.
“I have a pie safe just like this,” I said.
Oh, and the chalkboard.
I had one when I was a little girl–at my grandmother’s house.
“There’s so much love in this room. It feels like a sanctuary.”
“Thank you. My parents started the business thirty-something years ago and were ready to retire.”
“Wow, and it’s yours now.”
“Yes. My father still brings plants for the greenhouse, but ever since I was a little girl, it’s been my dream to turn the floral shop into a gift shop. My eight-year-old daughter is making custom floral arrangements.”
“Three generations of creativity. That’s amazing.”
Laurel waited a long time for her dream to come true.
“I’m just wondering…is faith a part of this?” I said. “I sense God’s Presence here.”
Because I have a dream.
My friends do too.
Some of us have spent years praying and waiting and wondering.
“Oh, yes,” she said. “Absolutely. Faith is a huge part. So much prayer went into this. And if my dream didn’t honor God, I wouldn’t want it to come true.”
Laurel gave me what I was searching for~
Something to share with you~
A precious seed of faith.
When God-inspired dreams come true, we know Who gets the glory. (click to tweet)
Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus… Colossians 3:17
Lord, help us trust You with our dreams. Your will. Your way. Your timing. (click to tweet).
P.S. You can follow Everett’s Florist on Facebook: Facebook.com/everett’s florist and on Instagram: Everett’s_Florist
Love,
Julie
Love,
Julie
