One of the supreme advantages of summer is the beauty of blooming flowers. Although spring blossoms have long since disappeared, geraniums, hibiscuses, roses, gladiolas, petunias, daisies, hydrangeas, and a host of other showy plants decorate the July landscape.
Daylilies are also displaying in all their gorgeous variety of colors and sizes. With minimum effort, they produce maximum beauty. I am fortunate to enjoy many varieties selected by my green-thumbed wife who has a knack for landscape design.
Of course individual blossoms on daylilies are short-lived, hence the name. It seems a bit of a waste for something so incredibly stunning to only last a few hours before wilting into the mulch. Thankfully, successive blooms continue to appear over many days so that the show continues although the individual actors exit the stage.
In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Himself commented on the beauty and the brevity of these flowers when He said in Matthew 6:28-31, “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 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, O you of little faith?”
What a great comfort it is to know that the God who designed, dresses, and cares for the daylilies also cares for us. May we trust Him implicitly even as He bids us do.
As I was working in our yard recently, it began to drizzle lightly before the sky opened up in a full-blown summer downpour. As the raindrops pounded our property, I noticed that the daylilies were still blooming. In spite of the rain, clouds, wind, or what have you, they just do what God created them to do: bloom!
These noble plants are not blooming for their own credit or even for human praise. They are blooming for God’s glory. They are doing what He designed them for even on the dreariest days whether anyone sees them or not, whether anyone shares their photo or not, and whether it’s a weekend or not.
I am so very fortunate to know some people who are like these flowers. These individuals bloom each day regardless of their circumstances and often in spite of them. Even in their darkest hours, even in hospitals and nursing homes, even in dead end jobs, even in abject poverty, they just bloom for God’s glory.
They are much unlike many of us whose moods and attitudes depend on the weather. This includes both the literal weather and the social, emotional, financial, or vocational climate that may either surround or be within us. Although no one enjoys a perfect life, most of us have fairer weather than many others.
We can be so very thankful we aren’t living in the middle of the Civil War when bullets and cannon balls were flying. We should be grateful we don’t live in Ukraine right now, or in the heat, poverty, and hunger of Sierra Leone. We ought to praise God that we don’t suffer from the diseases and maladies that many do. Overall our conditions are very sunny.
Most of us live in great weather most days. And yet, in spite of our many blessings, we often complain and shrivel up with criticism. Instead of blooming with joy and gladness, we withdraw, failing to fulfill the primary purpose God created us for: glorifying Him. Many who are enduring far rainier days than we are faithfully and beautifully blooming.
As we enjoy the summertime blossoms all around us, let us learn from them and the beautiful blooming souls as well. And may we, with the Holy Spirit’s help, bloom for Jesus rain or shine. Summer blessings, George
