Room Enough to Bloom

A children's book

                         Room Enough to Bloom

                                              By Melinda McQueen

 

Once upon a time there was a forgotten land so dry and untouched, no one seemed to know such a place existed. There were branches and twigs everywhere due to a natural disaster from long ago, a disaster which left this place alone and bare.

It had been so for quite some time, all life seemed desolate and an eerie solitude beheld it. Nothing seemed to move, no life was visible at a glance, and color seemed not to exist. All was faded and dull, even the grass was brown and so dry a crunching sound could be heard when a bird came to inspect this place then quickly flew away. Not even birds could stay on this piece of earth.

The source of its water supply had been cut off by a boulder which had tumbled onto the path of what was once its nourishing river. In its part of the world rain was very rare, almost never, and where rain lacked the sun had its abundance, beaming down on every day’s length nothing could stand against it.

On its surface were remains of flowers, all laying limp and shriveled having no life in them. Still they were there, wondering if anything would ever become of them. All life as they once knew was no longer in them, and because it had been long ago they had forgotten why they were there.

“Why are we here?” asked Lily, “The sun is so hot I’m blinded by it and can’t bare to look up. I’m so dried up I can’t remember who I even am. I have no strength to even move, I’m just here.”

“I know,” replied Daffodil, “I can’t even remember how we arrived here, furthermore, I can’t imagine how we existed in the first place. There is absolutely no wind, nor source of water. Has even God forgotten us?”

“I know we are more than this,” Rose chimed in, “’but for the life of me I can’t figure out what we are here for. I know it has to be something great because I believe everything has a purpose.”

There was something about Rose that earned respect from Lily and Daffodil, they looked up to her and always took comfort in her presence. She had a charm to her which mesmerized them, and they could always count on her wisdom. She was the one who kept their hope afloat when they felt like sinking into self-pity.

Among the three were many others but they showed no sign of life and didn’t respond to the attempts they made to stir them. Long ago they had given up, thinking they could never be as they were before, so they wasted away within themselves. Who they were had dried up along with their faith as a result of their circumstances. They allowed their outer appearances, their outer realm dictate who they were.

It was as if the three were the only ones there, and they chose to not give up but to remain hopeful. The days were long and hot and it seemed to take every ounce of energy to simply be. Though their outer selves were defenseless, they still had a sense of being, and looked for a better tomorrow.

They spent days on end simply being, sharing their aspirations and uncertainties with one another. Unknowing of time, it was as though they were there a thousand years feeling as wastes. There in the abandoned land, within their being they sought for who they were. For the sake of dreaming, they would imagine what they were; it was a great way to keep their hope alive.

“Maybe I am a fallen star!” Lily launched.

“Perhaps I’m part of a rainbow!” Daffodil declared.

“Maybe I’m a Red Robin who has forgotten how to fly!” Rose renounced.

From that moment, Lily imagined herself as a bright star shining endlessly into the dark. She had hope for the day she would take her place in the sky, where she would shine her light into the world. The thought so excited her that she would think on it often and would forget her current condition.

Instead of the discolored shell she was in, Daffodil saw herself filled with bright beautiful colors. She was a part of a promise made by God, a part of a very profound covenant. She just knew that someday she would be something beautiful filled with colors in a darkened sky, a treat after a hard rain. Thinking on this, her dream exceeded the place she now knew, the place of uncertainties, and she awaited the day when all would be joyful to see her.

Rose too, imagined herself to be a beautiful color, the color was red. In her dreaming she was a Red Robin soaring through the heavens. When in the zone nothing could pull her back to reality; instead of the small twigs surrounding her, to her they were branches of the tallest tree in which she perched, taking in the scenery from high above.

Though the land remained dry and barren, their hopes soared. At times they became weary and discontented, and Rose tried extra heard to get their thoughts where they should be. “Keep the faith. Things will get better, just wait and see. Things aren’t always as they appear.” With Rose’s words of wisdom, Daffodil and Lily were comforted. She continued to be their strength, and the reason their hope was kept alive.

They started believing with every fiber of their being that though they couldn’t yet perceive it, their life was going to get better. Just knowing this they became stronger and richer in who they were even though it wasn’t exactly crystal clear. They began to know that they had hopes and dreams -- dreams they could actually see themselves achieving. Deep within they knew they were destined to be something far greater than what they now knew.

One day a pecking sound was heard from afar; they listened intently but couldn’t figure out what the noise was. It persisted throughout the day and their curiosity grew with each passing hour because a sound of any kind rarely invaded their secluded land. Though the three thought and thought, they couldn’t imagine anything which remained long-lasting.

It invaded them in the early afternoon and went long into the night hours which lengthened their curiosity. They thought the disturbance would soon pass leaving the land to themselves, but became even more curious when it remained through the day and into the dark night.

Day after day the same noise continued as did their thoughts of the unfamiliar sound. Though they hadn’t a clue, they learned to embrace it, accepting it as a nice change to the eerie quiet; they wondered what could last so long and seem to stay in perfect rhythm. Rose used this to keep their hopes up by using the tune in a little song which she made up.

“Where does faith come from?

It comes from love,

Poured from the storehouse above.”

The three would sing the song each time their inner self grew tired and weary; the pecking became music to their listening and they developed a sense of peace they had never known before. They found their faith leaping beyond the circumstances they were confined to and reaching as never before to their hopes and dreams.

They felt themselves becoming stronger and stronger, having a faint sense of refreshment. They began to sense the things around them and to feel certain expectations in which they failed to possess only days before. The three still often wondered if they would ever know the source of the pecking they now referred to as music.

Yearning for the day that all they are, all they possessed would be revealed as the curtain of darkness opened to radiant light of realization and truth. To be known for who they were and what purpose they served was something they so longed for and sought after. They awaited the day with a passion which came from their inner roots, the place in which was designed to succeed, to blossom.

One humid day something caught Lily’s attention, “Look…” she said, gaining the attention of Rose and Daffodil. The three looked on with astonishment as a trickle of water was coming from a ledge a few feet away, and though it was but a little, it had formed a tiny but steady stream. They were fascinated simply by the sight of water, with the sun beaming, the water glistened under its ray.

“What a beautiful sight!” Daffodil declared.

“Where is it coming from? Is there a river beyond the big rock?” Lily asked.

“Quite possibly…” Rose answered though in deep thought.

They had never noticed the boulder before and couldn’t believe how it had been overlooked. Now their senses were being opened and they were realizing things in which they had no knowledge. They knew the water had just began to flow as they could feel its effect in their being, it was the reason they had started feeling more deeply and had felt a sense of peace.

By now they realized that the source of their water supply had been subdued by the massive boulder. “Why is the water coming through now?” Daffodil enquired. They pondered the thought for a while but couldn’t come up with a logical explanation, they were simply grateful for the little amount of water that was escaping.

They continued to converse in keeping one another company, it proved effective in passing hours. They would chat about anything and everything they thought was of importance -- or sometimes not; in their little gab sessions they rattled on and on, saying anything that happened to come to mind.

“I miss seeing beautiful colors, all colors of a rainbow.” said Daffodil.

“Me too; my favorite color is yellow as the color of the brightest star appears.” Lily said.

“My favorite is red,” Rose thought aloud, “I guess it’s why I hope to be a Red Robin.”

Their hopes remained strong, even their dreams which they had dreamt while they were weak. Now they had strength and even more faith to dream with, and knew that truth and reality would soon show their face.

Within the next few days, Rose felt a burden tugging at her; a sadness fell over her as a web she could not escape. She tried to ignore it, however, it’s pull was too great and was forced to give heart to it. Looking around at the ones who had given up long ago she felt remorse. “What’s wrong?” asked Daffodil, noticing that she was quiet and seemed far away. Rose was still for a moment, then said “I wish they wouldn’t have given up, it’s so sad to see them here without any sign of life.” Daffodil and Lily now felt the sadness as well. “I feel a feeling for them thought I don’t quite know what it is…” Lily said in a confused tone. The three began singing their song of faith as they looked forward to new things taking place.

The pecking remained steady and seemed more vigorous as in the days before; they began to see pieces of the boulder crumble and fall from the ledge which had been its home for quite some time. The three watched in amazement at what was taking place before them, with each sound of pecking the pieces continued to cascade down to the land beneath.

With each piece that fell the stream became stronger, rushing from behind what was left of the boulder. The stream was steady and glistened as the sun beamed toward it’s path, and it was as though the water ran into its light. They had thought the first little trickle was a beautiful sight, but in seeing this, they knew it was the most beautiful sight they had witness in a long while, it was definitely worth beholding. “It’s even stronger now.” Rose testified as the three witness its power. Then, there was another sight which called the three to a realization.

“It’s a Woodpecker!” Daffodil declared.

“So that’s what we have been hearing!” Lilly learned.

“He has pecked though the boulder…” Rose realized in full.

The Woodpecker was perched on top of the disappearing boulder proud of his accomplishment, all the pecking had paid off. The three beheld this creature with a sense of awe and gratitude. They were in awe that just one dedicated Woodpecker could bring about a change by conquering a huge boulder.

They knew that something great had taken place, nothing short of a miracle, they were thankful indeed of both the stream and their new found friend. Though the boulder was still blocking 20 percent of the full stream it was enough to soon restore their lives and in this they were pleased.

Lily thought back to long ago, and though the memories weren’t clear, she remembered how happy she had been. In her dreaming the only color she saw was Yellow, so bright and vibrant. She was swaying in a gentle breeze while the sun gave warmth she needed in order to dwell. She remembered the feeling of belonging, being a part of a special design. The memory seemed to come easily to her, it was a time she had felt special, but still she couldn’t recall what her life had been and its meaning.

Daffodil looked inside herself and found a place so peaceful and seemed not to hold a care in the world. All was calm and delightful as she stood tall and proud among many others. Her heart was as light as a feather, filled with joy and passion simply by being where she was meant to be. Though there were many other colors, the color Blue stood out to her; everywhere she looked there was Blue which was the boldest color of all the rest. The vision so captivated her, but she couldn’t fathom what her life use to be or where the scenes in her mind came from.

Rose drifted into her own little world where she was greeted by a place so familiar she felt so at ease and so included. Sunlight was surrounding her being as she smelt the sweetest scent, a scent so refreshing that it seemed to emit from within herself. Tall and strong, yet she felt graceful as she danced in a passing wind. The color Red stood out among the other colors, Red could be seen everywhere she looked and it was rich in color as she was drawn in by its strength. She wondered where she was and what place could hold such beauty, even so, she couldn’t imagine what she was or the life she once had.

The three shared their vivid dreams with one another and were mesmerized by how each of their favorite colors had been displayed. “It was such a wonderful dream,” said Lily, “I felt so alive! My starlight shone so brightly all I could see was Yellow!” Daffodil could relate to Lily, her dream too, had made her feel alive, “I must make up the color Blue of the rainbow!” Rose, who was still basking in her thoughts, said “It was truly amazing, I was flying so freely with a flock of beautiful Red Robins…”

Just when they thought they had it all figured out, another surprise took place in their little corner of the world. They began to feel droplets upon their substances, which caused them to look to the sky in wonderment. One by one the droplets fell onto the welcoming land. “It’s raining!” Rose shouted in pure joy, as Daffodil and Lily were overcome by laughter. It had been so long since they had seen rain that it was as new to them, and excitement mounted inside their being.

As they enjoyed the mist they felt revived as never before, yet another miracle was taking place -- they were noticing a great change in each other. Lily stared at the sight before her, saying “Rose, you’re turning a new color…” Rose looked down at herself, and where she had been wilted into a dull brown she now saw a bright Red taking charge. “I’m covered in Red!”

“You’re turning a new color too!” Daffodil said to Lily, who looked down at her own being. At first glance she couldn’t believe it was apart of her, a bright Yellow was spreading throughout her existence. She couldn’t describe the feeling, the joy she was experiencing, but managed to utter “I’m Yellow…”

By now, Daffodil wondered if the same was taking place in her and received her answer when Rose and Lily looked her way. There, among broken branches and dried up grass were colors of Blue upon Daffodil’s structure. Many shades of Blue could be seen in her, some stayed light while others a deep Blue. Daffodil, so amazed, said “I’m various shades of Blue!”

The three were in amazement at what was becoming of them as the rain increased into such a downpour that they could not see in front of them. Its sound rushed as fast as did the hard downpour upon them. The rain seemed so strong and relentless as its volume seemed unchanging. Remaining very still, they felt as though they would be consumed by its might, then it lessened to a steady soft rain.

Upon gaining visibility, they were in total amazement at the scene they beheld. It was as though they were in a new and different place. They were so stunned that it took awhile before they could speak to each other,

“It’s so beautiful…“ Lily finally broke their silence.

“There are so many flowers!“ Rose gasped.

“…And so many beautiful colors!“ Daffodil said, amazed.

As far as they could see were beautiful flowers of all kinds having numerous colors, they were so vibrant and rich, being full of life. Only moments before the land had been barren with no sign of life, and now it was as though God Himself had splashed color into His work of art. It was an amazing sight to behold as the flowers were spread far and wide, seeming to have no end; each had their place as a feeling of peace covered them.

“The flowers are so…” Daffodil stopped in mid-sentence having turned to her friends, then in amazement she said “…pretty…” At that moment the three saw each other for what they were, and they each felt totally renewed. Still in a state of shock from all that was taking place, they discovered their selves as never before.

Lily noticed her thin stem which had beautiful green leafs extending from her base. She was tall and out-standing, and looking down she saw the bit of earth she had been confined to which now seemed far away. With her bright Yellow pedals surrounding her, she exclaimed “I am a Lily!”

Daffodil was in awe of her new environment, taking in the new and exciting view. Though her memory was coming back to her, it was like nothing she had ever witnessed; in her sight were so many beautiful colors. She then became aware of her own colors, noticing her revived stem and her pedals of Blue. She had grown into something beautiful, she sighed in realization “I am a Daffodil!”

Rose stood tall and strong as she watched her joyful friends blossom into what they were destined to be. She suddenly felt the effects of a nice breeze as her leafs danced in its strength. Her stems were the thickest as though a second overlapped the first in the fashion of a weave. From her height she looked to the ground from whence she had started, and now she felt she had grown up to the sky. With her pedals of Red tossed in the wind, she smiled “I’m a Red Rose!”

The three were so filled with joy as the rain continued, the day which they had long awaited had come to pass. “Look…!” Daffodil called attention to the ledge. They heeded and found the boulder was gone; the hard rain’s force has finished the Woodpecker’s job. Now they were in awe as the beautiful waterfall rushed down to help restore their life.

Then all at once, the clouds parted and the heavens gave out a light as never before. Looking to the sky, Daffodil witnessed another sight and cried “A rainbow!” Being so bright and colorful they were unable to look away, then they heard a voice which spoke directly to them.

“Daffodil, as you now see, you’re not a rainbow as you hoped to be. I allowed you to dream so your faith would increase. You dreamt of beautiful colors, and you are indeed among beautiful colors, and your favorite color of Blue is made of you, My darling Daffodil.

“Lily, now you know you’re not a fallen star as you hoped so. I placed a desire within you to keep your hope alive. You dreamt of brightly shining into the darkened world, and you are doing just that, as I created you to shine your favorite color of Yellow for Me, My precious Lily.

“…And as for you Rose, it is now apparent you’re not a Red Robin as you have hoped. I instilled in you faith to sustain not only you, but your friends as well; you held them together so they wouldn‘t give up. You dreamt of soaring high in the sky and looking down from above, admiring the scenery. However, you grow tall and strong, reaching for the heavens as I look down from above and see among the rest, your favorite color of Red, my beautiful Rose.”

The three were so grateful for what their life meant and felt so special to belong to God. Noticing the flowers by her side, Rose had a revelation. “These flowers seem so familiar to me.” Daffodil and Lily agreed, and Daffodil said “I have the feeling again, the feeling I couldn’t describe before.” They pondered the thought until they heard a small voice from behind them say “Hello…” The three turned to see who was speaking, and when they saw who it was they were completely taken back.

“Is that really you?” Rose asked.

“Yes, it’s me!” Tulip smiled.

“Tulip! You are alive!” Daffodil gasped.

“We thought you left us!” Lily sighed.

As they became reacquainted, they noticed other flowers blooming to their potential. Lilies began to open up, spreading through the now moist soil as Roses grew to their height as they gained their strength. While looking on, the Daffodils blossomed until the color of Blue mixed in with the other colors, and Tulips sprang forth as did the Violets and Dandelions.

“You see,” said Tulip, “though we had failed to remain strong in the midst of our challenge, and though we hadn’t strength to stand we were still here… thanks to the three of you. Though our substance seemed to be lost, it was your faith which helped us to come back with all that we are; even though you thought we were gone, we were here listening to your song.”

With all the flowers in full bloom they were as happy as they could be, knowing all was right in their world. “It is Love!” Lily blurted in a realization that surprised her. “What are you talking about??” asked Rose. “The feeling I felt for our family of flowers - it is Love!” “…And compassion.” Rose added with a smile as she saw their friend readying himself to be their music. So, in celebrating the victory, Rose began and the others followed…

“Where does faith come from?

It comes from love,

Poured from the storehouse above.”

As they sung with all that they were, it was as if Heaven itself heard, for the sky opened to them and again they heard the voice of God, “I would never forsake My beautiful flower garden, for it is I who planted you for My glory. Though life is far from perfect, and though boulders get in the way of your dreams never give up on Me, for My grace is sufficient. In those times of despair I was working on your faith so that you would have room enough to bloom.”

Author's Note

I wrote this a few years ago.

Reviews

[Arianne Lomocso]

It was really good and thank you for writing me a review. Would you mind if I share this to my friends and family it seems like a beautiful story. Thank you for writing it :).

- Arianne Lomocso

[Melinda McQueen]

Thank you and yes you may. :)

[Arianne Lomocso]

Thank you :)

[Liubov Blithe]

What a beautiful story! It lightens my heart! So inspirational, thank you for such a lovely story. May God bless you!

[Melinda McQueen]

Thank you so much!