Floral Footprints
Exploring the Impact of Choice and Kindness in Seattle's Heart
We went to Seattle during Spring Break—the whole family. Calendars miraculously and fortuitously aligned, but it took four years of patient waiting. Our initial reservations were interrupted in March of 2020 by an initial outbreak of coronavirus in Washington state. That simultaneously feels like a decade ago and just yesterday.
On one of our first days, we visited Pike Place Market. You've likely seen pictures of this iconic location: thousands of bustling bodies, guys throwing fish, gum walls, and the most vibrant collection of flowers, fresh fruit, and vegetables. It's a bucket list place, for sure. And the food! My, oh my. Sorry, I'm getting carried away. But if you ever get the chance to visit Pike Place, do it.
As we walked the sidewalk, weaving through a maze of people, I kept my head down, looking at the sidewalk. I caught an interesting, yet very quick, glimpse of colors between sections of concrete. I thought it was interesting but continued walking to keep up with my family's fast and determined pace. Still looking down as I walked, I noticed the same thing over and over in the cracks. Finally, I stopped and examined the colors. Small flowers had been pressed side-by-side along the entire length of the sidewalk. I smiled and wondered who had taken the time to thoughtfully accent this path with such a delicate touch.
It wasn’t long until I found out.
Sitting cross-legged while people hurried past, a humble figure leaned over and meticulously placed small flowers, collected from a small plastic container, into the seam.
Before I left for this vacation, I had been meditating on these words: "Those who are with me gather, while those who are against me scatter." These profoundly wise words of Jesus break down our endeavors into two fundamental categories: gathering or scattering. One is fundamentally productive, the other unproductive. So, we can either use our time, energy, effort, words, resources, and endeavors to bless, heal, and do good, or to curse, wound, and do harm.
What I saw in this modest woman on the sidewalk at Pike Place Market highlighted what I had been meditating on- no matter who we are or where we find ourselves, no matter our status or position, no matter our abundance or lack, and no matter our past or present, we can consciously choose gathering over scattering. We can decide to leave a trail of kindness and beauty in our wake, much like the unassuming artist with her flowers.
Question
In what ways do I consciously choose to gather rather than scatter in my daily life, and how can I incorporate more acts of kindness and beauty in my actions and words to positively impact those around me?
Peace,
Brandon
