Sharing Flowers
In the Bible, in Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus said that we are like a city on a hill, or a light in a dark house. I wonder what Jesus meant. How are you and I like lights or a city? I was thinking that over and I talked with my good friend Little Barty Badger, who told me this story.
One day, as the legend goes, Little Barty Badger was investigating a mystery in Old Raven’s Forest! He was just about to head out on another adventure when he noticed a new flower, right outside his den door. It looked like some animal had tended and nurtured that flower and it was growing really well. But, there were no animals around, just a little mound of dirt a little ways away, and a line of dirt going off into the forest. Barty said, “Huh,” and then trundled off following the line.
After a little while, Barty came upon another flower growing really well, this time right outside Felicity Fox’s den, but as he got closer a flash of brown fuzzy fur dove into the ground and then another line of dirt shot away into the forest. “Hmmmm,” said Barty. Off he trundled, following close behind.
He stopped near Patty Porcupine’s burrow, but stayed hidden behind some bushes. Up popped Mary Mole. She looked around to see if anyone was watching, and then started to help a new flower grow. Barty was amazed, but wondered why Mary was hiding from her friends. He got an idea. The next burrow down the lane was a small family of Voles. While Mary was still working on the flower at Patty’s house, Barty scrambled over to the Vole’s burrow, built a small raised garden bed and filled it with dirt, then carefully positioned it right by their door. A very confused mommy vole watched from her kitchen window, but she knew Barty and shrugged it off. He chuckled and then hid again to see what Mary would do. Once again, she popped up, saw the dirt and got to work making a green bean plant grow. She then knocked on the Vole family’s door but dove into the ground before they could come up. Why is she hiding? Barty wondered.
At the next den, Barty had another idea. While Mary worked, from behind some bushes, he said out loud, “Such a bummer. I noticed a large patch of bare ground right in the center of Old Raven’s Forest. Seems like the perfect spot for a garden…” Mary heard him, perked up, and then tunneled her way there, with Barty sneaking right behind.
Up she popped into the very center of Old Raven’s Forest. Sure enough, there was a patch of bare dirt and it would make a nice spot for a garden. But just as she was about to get to work, Barty trundled up, startling her. She almost dove back into the ground when Barty said, “Wait! Why are you hiding?”
Mary was stunned. “Well,” she said, kicking the dirt a bit. “I just figured that, well, animals like flowers and they like veggies but they probably wouldn’t like me. So I just give them the flowers and the veggies.”
Barty knelt down and laughed a small laugh that somehow made Mary feel warm and happy. “Little Mole,” Barty said, “You have an amazing gift! You are worth sharing, not just your flowers.”
Just then, Felicity Fox, Patty Porcupine, the Vole family, and a bunch of other animals of the forest walked up and all started asking Mary questions about their plants. Mary beamed. They liked her for her, not just what she could do.
Well, that’s what the legend says, but I know one thing is true: sharing our gifts is great, but sharing our self is even better.
