Caleb and Tulips

You've likely heard the story "Welcome to Holland" written by a parent of a child with special needs.  In this story, the tulips always touch me because they remind me of Caleb.

Last year we moved into a new home.  The dirt surrounding our home was hard and packed, yet when fall arrived I couldn't wait to plant tulips.  I didn't know if they would grow, but the hope of the blooming tulips was enough to get me planting.

As the Spring season arrived, I saw my neighbors flower beds explode with colorful daffodils and tulips.  My flower beds were still bare. I thought maybe mine just wouldn't grow this year.  Maybe I planted them too deep.  Maybe our dirt was just too hard.  
But, as the weeks went on, I started seeing little mounds of dirt in my flower beds.  When I looked closer I could see tulip stems peeking back at me!  The tulips were slowly pushing back the hard earth and making a quiet appearance. They may have been planted too deep.  I know for certain  our soil wasn't ideal, but they grew!  They've grown a little slower than others in the neighborhood, but just this week they started blooming

just in time for a snow storm!

Every time I look at those little tulips, they touch my heart.

They had the courage to grow!

They keep blooming in spite rough weather.

They brighten the world

And they point to heaven.

Just like my little Caleb.