MountainWings - The Daily Inspirational E-Mail #1114
Helping You Over The Mountains of Life

. . . until the flowers

I am a runner.

I have several circular routes measured from my home. 
If I decide to run 3, 4, 5 or 7 miles, each run always ends at one particular spot.

A few houses down from mine is a home with a beautiful flower arrangement 
near the mailbox. The arrangement is as ornate and as cultured as if a master 
gardener extended his hand and delicately shaped each flower, bush, stem, 
and blade of grass.

I have never seen any flower arrangement as pretty in a yard.

That's the point.

That's the point that marks the end of my run.

. . . until the flowers.

No matter how long or short the run, I have one goal in mind.

Keep running until I get to the flowers. 

Life should be like that.

Keep running until you get to the flowers.

We typically receive the largest number of flowers when our lives are over.

We get the most flowers in our lives at our funeral.

Those flowers don't do you any good.

As far as I know, you can neither see nor smell them

My neighbors’ flowers help give me encouragement and strength to run through
this life.

On a recent run, I was thinking about those beautiful bundles of encouragement 
and had decided to write a MountainWings issue about them. Oddly enough,
for the first time, the couple was in the yard working on the flowers as I
ended my run.

I ran by their yard, I had almost reached the flowers.
It was a hot sunny day and they could tell by the swelter and sweat that I had 
been on a grueling run.

The wife spoke, "Could I get you a glass of water or something?" she asked.

"No thanks, " I answered.

She didn't realize what they had given me already.

They had given me the flowers.

People who give you flowers for no reason show their giving natures in many ways.

Most people in the neighborhood probably couldn't tell you about my neighbors’ 
flowers. They are probably too busy to see them.
They probably see all of the other stuff.

There is much disarray along the run.
There are many weeds and bare branches.
There is trash thrown from cars reflecting people's disregard for others,

. . . and then, there's the flowers.

So it is in life.

Keep your mind on the flowers even when you can't see them.

You can plant flowers. 

Not only the physical kind, but also flowers of the spirit.

You need to picture the beautiful flowers that await you at the end of your run.

The flowers that never whither or die.

Flowers of the spirit.

You need to understand that they are beautiful and they smell nice.

You also need to tell those that have planted flowers along your path that you 
appreciate them.

I will print this issue of MountainWings and put it in my neighbors’ mailbox.
I doubt that they have ever heard of MountainWings, but their flowers influence
MountainWings, and, in turn, you, on each run.

I am a runner. 

So are you.

We run through life, just different paths, different shoes, and different running 
styles.

In all of your daily running, be sure to stop and smell the roses but 

Keep running.

. . . until the flowers.


"A MountainWings Original"
Thank you for inviting MountainWings in your mailbox.
See you tomorrow.
_____________________________________________
Help friends with their mountains in life. 
Refer them to MountainWings.com or 
simply click the "Forward" button to send this email 
to a friend.

To Rate an issue, Subscribe, stop your free subscription,
Ask Advice, Submit a Quote, Joke, or Inspirational Story, 
simply click http://www.mountainwings.com