One day
I was walking along a nearby street
on my way to the bakery
when a splash of colour
in a street grating
caught my eye.

Curious,
I went back to take a wee look.
And can you guess what it was?
A begonia!
Green, fresh, shiny leaves,
tiny white petals
and a heart of gold.
All blooming and beautiful
down below the bars
of the grating.

“Beauty in the gutter!”
I thought to myself.

It was almost like a wee miracle
the way it was growing there!

Well, miraculous or not,
it filled me with a deep sense of hope.
And as I continued my walk
to the bakery
I gave thanks to God
who sends us
these snatches of hope,
wee glimpses of survival
against the odds.

I reckon that each of these
is like a love letter from God,
reminding us
that He is powerful,
that He is everywhere,
that He knows absolutely everything about us
and that He loves us deeply
anyway.

Each of these wee messages from heaven
urges us
to place our trust in Him
and to never, ever despair.

Beauty in the gutter –
isn’t it amazing?
(Isn’t God amazing?)

© Claire Murray, 22nd August 2025