Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows and we are gone – as though we had never been here.
–Psalm 103:15-16, New Living Translation
Since I do very little gardening, I started to discard the daylily catalog that arrived in the mail. But I decided to look at it, and I’m glad I did.
Inside, I found photo after photo of the most gorgeous daylilies I’d ever seen. Since they were hybrids, rather than the ordinary lilies that often flourish beside the road, they were very expensive, or so it seemed to me, for I’ve never paid $100 to $350 for one plant – of any kind.
All lilies, whether they’re expensive hybrids or dirt-cheap lilies in a pot, have strikingly beautiful blooms. Such pretty colors. Such intricate details, as if hand-painted. Yet, each lovely bloom lasts only one day. It opens up, delighting us with its beauty, and then it closes, disappearing from our sight.
We, too, whether we’re rich or poor, well-known or obscure,appear for a time and then disappear, as though we were never here at all.
During our short stay, let’s not allow stress and anxiety to mar the inspiring faith we, as believers, should manifest. Instead, let’s make our lives much more beautiful, and appealing, to others by doing what Jesus said: ��Look at the lilies and how they grow.� What are we to learn by looking at the lilies? �They don�t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won�t he more surely care for you?�� (Matthew 6:28-30, NLT).
If we�ll trust God to meet all our needs, we�ll possess an unshakeable calmness that will cause folks to shake their hands in amazement.
Gracious Father, for however many days of life You give to us, may we, like beautiful lilies, be an inspiring illustration of Your abiding love and faithful care.
Johnnie Ann Gaskill is a writer and photographer who lives in Georgia, USA. She welcomes visitors to:www.jgaskill.com
