The Gift of Flowers…
The Beauty of Spring is filled with the beauty of flowers. When I stop and take the time to examine specific blooms, I am reminded that each and every flower is unique unto itself, and offers us its own individual radiance. Yet like all of creation, individual flowers belong to a specific grouping where they
shares many things in common. They are individuals and yet connected.
How blessed we are to experience these beauties of Creation. They inspire us not just with their magnificent radiance but also with a reminder of the importance of belonging and connectedness. They exemplify trust in the fundamental patterns that support all of Life.
Science is just beginning to explain this fundamental interconnectedness. As our knowledge and understanding of soil microbes is growing, we are beginning to get a glimpse into the amazing symbiotic relationships between plants and soil. No wonder the example of “the Lilies of the Field” was used in one of Christ’s teachings about trust…“ And why do you worry about clothing? ( at that time food and clothing were often scarce and people were anxious about their survival.) Remember the lilies of the field, and how they grow; they do not toil, neither do they spin, and yet Solomon in all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”
Christ, along with modern science is reminding us of the important role that interconnectedness plays in our trust in the very process of Life. Nothing that has ever been created by God was designed to stand and survive alone. When we truly understand this, our anxiety is removed by placing total trust in the interconnectedness of life.
Today we are only beginning to understand how these various systems of life work together to support and protect life on our great planet. When it comes to plants and soil, we are still learning about their incredible exchange of resources. Some say that plants will exert as much as 30% of its energy to its root zone in order to make food for its microbes. In return, the microbes not only protect the plant from stress but also provide food and nutrients. And so as I going on my daily walks and celebrate the various gifts of Spring, I offer a special moment of gratitude for the “Gift of Flowers”… a Gift of not just of beauty, but of examples of faith, trust, and interconnectedness.