Front Porch Flowers
In some ways, “Front Porch Flowers,” is a second part to last weeks post, “3 Ways to Stop Judging.” The quote above “. . . you couldn’t tell a thing about a family by their front-porch flowers” is a realization Cornelia Taylor, the main character in my book In Search of the Painted Bunting , comes to when she’s confronted with what’s been going on behind the beautiful exterior of her friend Opal Ann’s house. Sometimes, when I give my testimony, I talk about how in my early life I was in such pain while being so far from God. On the outside, I had a wonderful job, wore nice clothes, and put a smile on my face. No one knew. But behind my own version of front porch flowers, there was a massive storm brewing, one that would almost break me. Often, we’re tempted to believe the social media post façade—that everything is in perfect order, that there is no chaos just beyond those curated images, and that another’s life is free of the unavoidable messes, pain, and heartache of our own.
