Wildflowers

My mom tipped me off to the wildflowers growing near Arvin the other day, and I decided that it would be worth the effort of taking the kids out to get a few pictures. I'm glad I did! We had so much fun. It was an absolutely beautiful day, even though it was a little overcast. The flowers were breathtaking. I wish I were a better photographer, but there is probably no way to really capture the beauty of it without being there anyway.

Bright yellow, orange, pink, purple and blue splashed the hills. The wind was blowing gently and the masses of fragrant colorful blooms swayed peacefully as we took it all in. I was happy that the kids were so impressed. Usually, such things get a few second acknowledgement and then are forgotten in favor of stomping on ants, or sword fighting with sticks. However, today they admired the beauty of it all with me, and I got to enjoy not only the magnificence of this forgotten hillside in Arvin, CA that God lavished with intricate, delicate beauty... but also the wonder in my children's eyes as they experienced it for the first time.

I was prepared, and had my bible with me for just such a teaching opportunity. I flipped to Matthew and read to them, "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil or spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." We talked about what that meant, they seemed to take it in. I don't know if these "teachable moments" are as effective when I plan them out, but God was gracious to let my little plan succeed. I hoped some seeds were planted in their little hearts. Then, Jaden yelled out, "Mommy! Look! That must be where Jesus died!" Low and behold, that old metal cross I've seen out there a hundred times was right across from where we stopped. God gave me a teachable moment that wasn't a part of my plan, and of course, it was better than mine ever could have been.