The oleanders are fully in bloom! My yard is scented with a honey-like aroma that stuns me with its warm headiness. I inhale deeply, unable to breathe in enough of the scent, as attracted as a bee to the sweet fragrance. Lovely as the masses of white, pink, and fuchsia colors may be, it is the scent, which most attracts me. When I lived in Michigan, spring meant lily of the valley, lilacs, and hyacinth. I feared I’d have to sacrifice those fragrances, but now I see that I have been given a different but no less lovely scent to enjoy. And so God works in my life. I surrender sources of happiness, committing them to my memory bank, but receive others unexpectedly. Oleander was an unknown plant; its sweet perfume something I could never have anticipated. Thank you, Lord, for continuing to bless me in ways I could never anticipate, allowing me to hold unto the best of the past, and showering me with fresh gifts each new day. Amen.
