My favorite things

Tulips are one of my favorite things.  In fact, Brian gave me a beautiful bouquet of dark pink tulips for Valentine's Day this year.  I love them so much that last Fall one of my only goals in home improvements was to get some tulip bulbs planted in the yard before it was too cold.  So, over Thanksgiving we planted the bulbs.  I even blogged about it back then.  

Well, one small detail I left out in that post back in November was that I made a huge mistake when reading the directions for these bulbs.  The directions said to dig 12 inches deep, but plant the bulbs only 4 inches below the surface.  The reason for digging 12 inches deep is to accommodate for the roots (very important) and the reason for only planting 4 inches deep is so that you'll actually see your blossom (also very important).  

So, I read the directions and proceeded to tell my gardeners, Brian and Nathan, that we needed to cultivate the ground 12 inches deep AND plant them 12 inches deep.  Wrong, Julie!  After several hours outside, we clean up and go inside and then I see Brian standing in the kitchen with the bulb instructions in his hand and a concerned look on his face.  He realized that we had done it incorrectly.  AHHH!!  I was just ready to give up, but Brian without question went back outside to dig up all the bulbs he could find 12 inches below the surface and replant them at their proper 4 inches.  What a guy!!!  After a few more hours, Brian came back in the house and said he found most of the bulbs.  I was skeptical that we'd see flowers in the spring. 

So, when I saw the beginnings of these beautiful flowers in our yard a few days ago, I was more than astonished.  It was cause for great celebration.  Nathan and I went up and down the front of our house and saw at least 15 different sprouts.  I reminded Nathan how we planted the bulbs, but that God has caused the growth!  It is indeed a miracle.  I'm thankful for this small gift of grace to me.  After several weeks of sickness and plenty of opportunities for being unthankful, I was reminded that in Christ there is life!  I'm thankful for the life of these flowers, but more for the eternal life that I have been granted in Jesus my Lord.  For He is the one that has taken my dead heart and made it alive in Him!  Be amazed!