Inspirational: God’s Gifts Don’t Depend on Perfect Soil

By Linda Kirby/WGON 6.15.26

Today the Lord slipped a Brown‑Eyed Susan into my life — not in a pot, not in a bed, not in a place prepared for beauty, but between flagstones in my sitting area, in ground that had been sprayed with poison. A place where nothing should grow.

But there it was. Bright. Bold. Unbothered. A little miracle standing on tiptoe to get my attention.

People say, “Oh, a bird must’ve dropped the seed.” I just laugh. Because I know better. Every year the Lord gives me a flower I didn’t plant — a gift, a wink, a reminder that He loves me. And this year, He sent one that grew where it shouldn’t have been able to grow at all.

As I sat there with the breeze blowing through my hair, I heard Him whisper something deep into my spirit:

“My gifts don’t depend on perfect soil.”

And suddenly I saw it — this wasn’t just about a flower. It about imperfect vessels, It was about me. It was about every imperfect person God has ever used to do His perfect work.

“My strength is made perfect in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9

He plants His gifts in cracked places. He grows His beauty in broken ground. He brings life through people who feel unqualified, unseen, or “sprayed down” by the world. And when His hand is on it, nothing — not poison, not pressure, not circumstances — can stop what He chooses to bloom.

That Brown‑Eyed Susan wasn’t just a flower. It was a sermon. A reminder that God delights in surprising us, strengthening us, and growing His glory in the very places we thought were barren.

“To give them beauty for ashes…” — Isaiah 61:3

And the truth is, I didn’t plant that flower. Jamie didn’t plant it. The bird didn’t plant it. It grew because God decided it would.

“God gives the increase.” — 1 Corinthians 3:7

As I sat in my little piece of heaven, thanking Him for the sky, the breeze, the peace, and the people who love me, I realized something:

I don’t have to be perfect soil. I just have to be His.

And that’s enough for anything to bloom.