THE LILY

The early morning light was just beginning to show. Light barely cracking through the veil of darkness that was the night. The gentle rain that had poured out during the night had moved on down the valley. The ground was still wet and had left pools of water that small birds used to drink from and splash in for their morning bath. The trees all along the rocky path were filled with the birds’ songs. It was like a well-orchestrated symphony. Each song carried on the wind and signaled to its bird counterpart.

“Here I am, my love.” They seemed to say. 

Deep in the woods, there are no other sounds. Just the wind in the trees and the songs of the birds. No cars. No trucks. No man-made automation. Just the sounds of creation, as if life had gone back to the beginning of time. Slowly now, the sun rises. The first rays glow on the tops of the trees along the mountain. Beams of light shoot through the trees like hundreds of golden spotlights for an audience of none but nature herself. 

A mother fox darts out of her hidden den in a fallen log, and leaves three little pups with their heads filling the entrance, watching her as she leaves. Their anxious expressions beckon their mom to hurry back. She runs across the stream at the edge of the meadow searching for food for her family. She stops now with her nose up in the air. Her senses detect food on the side of the hill. As she darts up the hill, her leg brushes against a patch of Lillies just above the stream, dampening the underside of her belly from the dew that was upon them. And as she did so, little droplets of dew fell upon the ground. 

The droplets glistened in the golden morning sun as the beams of light splash upon one lily. This one lily is brighter than the others. Its petals reach out to the sun as it drinks in the light. And as the light danced upon it, it grew stronger and taller. The sun-laden lily is majestically colored in violet-white and purple. The color of Kings. Yet it sat there humbly in the sun. If it knew of its beauty and splendor, it didn’t show it. As the beams of the sun rose, its head also rose with it. Like someone connected them in perfect harmony. 

The warmth of the sun kissed the dew-laden petals. A gentle breeze danced across the face of the lily, making it rock to and fro. The beams of light grew stronger and spilled out over the other heads of the lilies. The gentle breeze moved them all together like waves of the ocean. They lifted the fragrance they make into the air. A small honey bee delights himself on the nectar from the tallest lily and then departs. Such a beautiful and delicate scene on the hillside. Such detail went into the creation of it only to be seen by God. Such detail put into something that only he will ever see. 

How amazing is our God that he creates such detail even when no child of his will ever see it? He could easily make something simple and plain, but that’s not who he is. Our father and creator designs only beautiful and perfect things. If he went into such detail for a flower that no man will ever see, imagine how amazing and complex you were made. If he cares for the animals and flowers of the field, just imagine how much more he cares for you. 

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow? They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon, in all his splendor, was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 

Matthew 6:28-30