Dear future little one,

My first year of college was hard. Like, really really hard. My roommates didn’t talk to me, my family was 500 miles away, and every attempt to make new friends ended in frustration and even lower self esteem. I was stuck in a downward spiral of self-deprecation and loneliness.

On a particularly hard day, I pushed my homework to the side and escaped to the grounds of the LDS temple. It was only a few blocks away from my apartment, and I went there often. I walked the ten minutes to the beautifully-kept temple grounds begging God for peace or inspiration or even just a friend. There are always hundreds of flowers at the LDS temples no matter what time of year it is. And that day was no different. I sat there reflecting on my life and desperately trying to figure out what I could do to make things better. I was surrounded by hundreds of God’s most gorgeous creations. And as I sat there, looking out at all of them, I realized something.

God sent me those flowers.

Flowers don’t have to be pretty. When you really think about it, what is the point of flowers other than to be beautiful? Some might have medicinal purposes, but the majority of flowers have no other purpose. And think of the extensive process required to MAKE a single flower! Pollination with the bees and the seeds and the seasons is SO complex. All for one tiny beautiful flower.

When I looked at those flowers, I saw all of the effort and complexity that God put into making something with no other purpose than to beautiful. With no other purpose then to make me happy with the beauty it portrayed. It was His way of saying, “Here’s something beautiful, something to make you happy, just for you. Because I love you”.

So whenever I’m having a rough day, I make a point to walk past a flower or notice an especially gorgeous sunset. It’s like God is reaching out to me and saying “Hey, I love you. And here’s beauty for beauty’s sake to prove it.” Right in the midst of the chaotic mess we call life.

So next time you’re struggling to function at a basic human level, or feel like the world is coming at you at a hundred miles per hours from a million directions, walk outside and find a flower. Find that beautifully significant little flower. Because God sent it just for you.

Love Always,

Sara