Are you ever confused about what to do next in a situation? Like which way to go, or what to say that will not be misunderstood or taken wrongly?  It must be a common occurrence, because there are so many times that I feel that way throughout my day.  How do I know what to choose?  What direction is the right way to go?  How can I find something life-giving among so many life-denying choices?  In the midst of so many things falling apart, how do we choose life and go on?  Perhaps we can take a lesson from nature.

This fall has been quite confusing in D.C.  Not only did we have snow before Halloween, but now we have had temperatures in the 70’s in the 3rd week of November.   What can be more confusing than that?  Well, many things maybe, but what I witnessed in nature this past week is a most amazing response to the confusion.  The cherry trees all over D.C., while losing their leaves this fall are also struggling to bloom!  That’s right.  Cherry blossoms in November.  I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. 

So next time we don’t know what to do in a confusing situation, perhaps we need to mirror nature and simply bloom.  We could bloom with kindness, or forgiveness, or understanding, or offering someone a second chance.  Just remember to bloom, no matter how confusing it may be.  Because the blossoms of our confusion just may be the graced moment of our day where God is reaching out to touch us and through us, touching others.