Last year, at Easter, we received a number of pretty flowers - tulips and daffodils. We enjoyed them on the dining table and then, when they began to wilt and the petals fell, had grand ambitions to dig out the bulbs and properly store them in the dark, cool basement before planting in the fall.
What actually happened is that the leaves wilted and the petals fell and the pots got placed in the backyard, next to the house, bright foil still attached. And there they stayed, forgotten, through the heat of summer, and the crispness of fall, and the cold and snow of winter.
Imagine my surprise, when, last week as we began to clear weeds and mulch from the yard and re-pot our houseplants, I discovered the discarded pots and bulbs. Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, the bulbs had again begun to bloom right where they were. The daffodils, in a pot which had been knocked on its side, were growing half in the pot and half in the ground.
I couldn't believe it! I had not carefully tended the bulbs. I had not protected them from the scorching summer sun, or nestled them in the soil at an appropriate depth in the fall. And yet, they grew anyway! I found some larger pots, added soil, and carefully transferred them.
In thinking about how these bulbs grew and flourished in an unexpected place, I am reminded of this past Sunday's Gospel reading about Lazarus. No one expected a dead man to emerge from the tomb - he was dead four days! There was already a stench! And yet, when Jesus called to him, "Lazarus, come out!" - out he came, filled with life, ready to be unbound.
We, too, are experiencing life from unexpected places these days. It's been an unexpected joy to worship with folks who have been unable to join us in the past. Neighborhoods have come to life as more people are out walking and biking and waving to one another (six feet apart!). Trees are budding, flowers are poking through the soil, and the sun is brightening our days.
As we look forward to Holy Week, we know that Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection are the ultimate reminders of how God always brings life and hope out of death and despair. I pray that this week brings these reminders close to you.
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