We had not been living in Texas very long after our move from Iowa in 1982, when my wife’s parents (Henry and Mildred) drove from their home in Gary, Indiana, to visit us in Plano. My father-in-law was interested in knowing about the area, and during the visit I drove Henry around to show him some of the sightseeing highlights. It just so happened at that time that my maternal grandfather, who was over 100 years old, still lived by himself in nearby Lewisville, Texas.  So, one day Henry and I drove the approximate twenty miles to check on and visit with my granddad.

The drive back to Plano was on a two-lane highway. Off to the side of the road we noticed that a local farmer was selling fruit from his road-side stand. It was summer, and I could just imagine the delicious taste of a nice, freshly- picked, juicy, ice-cold watermelon.  We stopped and bought one of those watermelons!  

The farmer also had cantaloupe, bedding plants, and some iris bulbs for sale.  So, we also selected several cantaloupes. Because my wife loves flowers, we also bought a handful of the iris bulbs, which Henry helped me select. My wife planted the bulbs hoping for blooms the next spring, and I didn’t think much more about it. 

The next spring we were greeted with beautiful, deep purple blooms from those bulbs. Every spring for each of the following thirty-five plus years we lived in Texas we were blessed by those beautiful purple flowers that those bulbs produced as they spread and filled the flowerbed. God told His creation to be “fruitful and multiply”. The irises heard and obeyed Him, because over the years they increased from that handful of flowering bulbs to dozens— enough to give many away and still have dozens!

Sometimes God allows tragic events like 9-11 to occur as the inevitable march toward fulfillment of His prophecies takes place. Those events scream loudly, grab the attention of millions, get front-page news coverage, and are remembered vividly. 

But sometimes, in GOD’S OTHER WAYS©,  He also speaks to us through the “silent screams” of the beauty of His creation.  As spring arrives this year, be still and listen to hear its message!