Photo credit: SPRING FLOWERS. PINK HYACINTH © Sierpniowka | Dreamstime.com
As I was walking past a local church in my neighborhood, I noticed flowers and potting soil strewn all around the front yard. Next to the flowers and dirt was a white plastic container, the original holder of the flowers.
I realized quickly that the flowers came from the front steps of the church a few feet away. There was another container, this one intact and holding flowers, on the opposite side of the stairs.
Why would someone do that? I thought as I walked on by and headed for the bank.
As I walked back from my quick errand towards the church again, I decided that I needed to re-pot those flowers.
I live around the corner from this church, and I’ve had newly purchased flowers waiting to be planted stolen from my yard. I’ve even had a plant taken straight out of the ground and left on the adjacent sidewalk, not to mention a pumpkin freshly painted by my then 4-year-old stolen from my front steps.
I don’t know why people do stupid things like this. There’s clearly no reasoning behind it. I just assume they are angry people that get some kind of weird kick out of destroying other people’s things.
All I know is that it sucks when you find something from your property ruined. Even if it is only a few flowers. It still feels yucky.
So, I stopped at the church and assembled the flowers as best I could back in the pot. I scooped up as much of the dirt as I could and packed it in. I put the pot back together (it was in two pieces) and set it back on the steps.
As I was doing this, I noticed a broken wire that had originally held the pot in place on the steps.
It’s not perfect, but at least the flowers aren’t all over the ground.
I believe in karma. Doing little good deeds like this has to add up to something. (And bad karma will eventually get those that steal little boys pumpkins from their front stairs.)
Philanthropy works in so many ways. Imagine if we all worked on doing something positive everyday, even if it’s just holding a door for someone. Or re-potting some flowers.
What good deed will you do today?
Doing good deeds is great. I believe that people sit up and take notice when you do the right thing. It gives you the right to speak. I will say this though; when it comes to our relationship with God, nothing we do can make us “good enough” to be with Him. That is why Jesus came. He paid the price for our wrongs. It is a free gift that we can only accept by turning from a life of self control to a life of following Jesus.
Justin Grice recently posted..Offering free website design services for churches through August 31, 2011
Thanks for reading, Justin. I think, no matter who or what your higher power is, it all comes down to doing the right thing. My little deed will mostly go unnoticed and that’s fine. It made me feel good, and I hope it lessened some stress for someone else. It also tells the vandals in my neighborhood that we won’t stop making our yards look beautiful just because they took apart a flower pot. I think we should all live by the Golden Rule. The world could use some more positive, meaningful actions.