Lessons From a Flower
So, I have these lilies in my yard. Well...like 4 varieties but these lilies go by the name "Naked Lady". Now before we start a war, that really is a name they go by and I believe it is because they sprout up just a big 'ol flower on a big 'ol stalk, with no greenery. (If that is NOT the reason, it should be...HA!) My sweet friend gave them to me...she is a humble, older, wiser, lovely gardener who is full of discretion and a quiet, gentle soul. She explained the name but then told me "I like to just call them "surprise lilies". So surprise lillies it was! We were under the impression these surprise flowers only sprouted once every 3 years. If you know me, you know I lack patience and God makes sure to put me in many situations to build this lack of patience! Haha.
So, we come home one summer from vacation and see this random (only one) stalk with a flower. Guys, I seriously thought it was fake and someone had stuck it in the ground there. I was so confused and felt like I was in an episode of the Twilight Zone! About a week later, we realized "Hey! I think that's those flowers!" (Yeah, we were kind of slow.) We hadn't expected them for a good 2 more years. So surprise they were! And they just keep coming back so it appears they are yearly. ("Phew!"-said all the impatient people).
Well none of that matters a ton, but I DID want you to know a little about these. In the Spring, they are among the first plant to stick their nose out through the mulch. Just a green, leafy plant. And just as it sprouts fast, it also fades fast. I learned that you can't just cut it off as it browns and fades because it's actually in the process of dumping vital nutrients back to the bulb! It looks like it's dying on the outside, but it's actually in the process of producing life. Good to know! So, we leave them there, even though I despise how they look, because I am now aware of what is going on below the surface.
After this, there's nothing. Just little holes where they existed in the mulch. For like 6 weeks! Just an empty, mulchy flower bed. So boring. Oh but then...when you least expect it and forgot their arrival all together, these beautiful flowers emerge. They grow insanely fast...more than 3 feet tall in just a week-ish! I stare out the window at the gorgeous pink flowers, thinking how many lessons they hold.
If you look at them when they are brown on top, it looks like a dying, worthless plant. When, in fact, it is in the process of producing the most beautiful fruit. It's working toward the height of it's life cycle. Because I had studied the purpose of this process, I knew better than to think it was dying. I knew it was to bring about the most stunning beauty...and so I patiently let the process happen, looking ahead to what I know is coming.
And, so it is in our lives. Sometimes we look and feel dead-desperate, depressed, down-trodden, and the temptation is to just uproot and cut ourselves off. We loose sight of our finish line and are tempted to no longer run in a way so that we win. We can't stand how we look and feel. But in these moments, it's critical we study the process of trials and know what God's word says. Trials & tribulations produce a host of essential and beautiful things in our lives. James 1:2-4 says this:
So, we come home one summer from vacation and see this random (only one) stalk with a flower. Guys, I seriously thought it was fake and someone had stuck it in the ground there. I was so confused and felt like I was in an episode of the Twilight Zone! About a week later, we realized "Hey! I think that's those flowers!" (Yeah, we were kind of slow.) We hadn't expected them for a good 2 more years. So surprise they were! And they just keep coming back so it appears they are yearly. ("Phew!"-said all the impatient people).
Well none of that matters a ton, but I DID want you to know a little about these. In the Spring, they are among the first plant to stick their nose out through the mulch. Just a green, leafy plant. And just as it sprouts fast, it also fades fast. I learned that you can't just cut it off as it browns and fades because it's actually in the process of dumping vital nutrients back to the bulb! It looks like it's dying on the outside, but it's actually in the process of producing life. Good to know! So, we leave them there, even though I despise how they look, because I am now aware of what is going on below the surface.
After this, there's nothing. Just little holes where they existed in the mulch. For like 6 weeks! Just an empty, mulchy flower bed. So boring. Oh but then...when you least expect it and forgot their arrival all together, these beautiful flowers emerge. They grow insanely fast...more than 3 feet tall in just a week-ish! I stare out the window at the gorgeous pink flowers, thinking how many lessons they hold.
If you look at them when they are brown on top, it looks like a dying, worthless plant. When, in fact, it is in the process of producing the most beautiful fruit. It's working toward the height of it's life cycle. Because I had studied the purpose of this process, I knew better than to think it was dying. I knew it was to bring about the most stunning beauty...and so I patiently let the process happen, looking ahead to what I know is coming.
And, so it is in our lives. Sometimes we look and feel dead-desperate, depressed, down-trodden, and the temptation is to just uproot and cut ourselves off. We loose sight of our finish line and are tempted to no longer run in a way so that we win. We can't stand how we look and feel. But in these moments, it's critical we study the process of trials and know what God's word says. Trials & tribulations produce a host of essential and beautiful things in our lives. James 1:2-4 says this:
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Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
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for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
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And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
When I see the green part of this fascinating plant begin browning in late spring, I'm reminded it's not the whole story...I'm reminded of what it's working towards...and I'm reminded that my God is in the business of redeeming the dark, broken, dead, and painful parts of our lives and producing great, unsearchable beauty. Only God can do that...Only God.
Watch what our Creator has written about Himself in creation. It is truly astounding!
Beautiful thoughts. And, as always, exactly what I needed to read tonight. Thank you. ♡♡♡
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