Consider the Lilies

Shug: More than anything God love admiration.  Celie: You saying God is vain?   Shug: No, not vain, just wanting to share a good thing. I think it pisses God off when you walk by the color purple in a field and don't notice it.  --The Color Purple, by Alice Walker

I love road trips.  I love them because I love seeing the beauty of the landscape...rolling hills and waterfalls and rock ledges and wildflowers.  I just returned from yet another trip through the long state of Pennsylvania -- and I've driven these roads enough in the past year to see all four seasons unfold.   I'm convinced Alice Walker was right on in her book, The Color Purple -- God does dot the landscape of the world with the beauty of purple just to make us aware that He is in control.  He wants to share good things with us and create beauty through us.

Like the seasons of the land, we too have times in our lives that are in full, colorful bloom, and
other times where our life's beauty lies dormant, covered by the harsh and bitter reality of our experiences.  Just as in nature, we may wonder if we can survive the winters of our life.  We grow weary of the cold and lifeless spirit it creates in us and often want to hibernate and shut ourselves off from the world.

And then we see it.  A lavender crocus peeking through the snow.  A purple pansy that survived the winter.  Hope from the heavens spoken through a wildflower.  Simple blooms with a powerful message:

“Don’t worry about your life . . . consider the lilies and how they grow. They don’t fuss or work at their appearance, but have you ever seen such beauty? Even Solomon, in all his worldly glory and impressiveness, was not as beautiful as one of these. If God clothes a wildflower with incredible beauty, won’t He take care to do the same with you, His child?    (Luke 12)

A few years back, I helped to create a faith-based women's retreat based on the promise of this scripture.  The 'Secrets of the Lily' retreat has now been held multiple times and I have had the privilege to meet so many women who have shared stories of finding eternal beauty in spite of, or perhaps because of, the winters of their life.  Their testimony of faith is a wonderful reminder and reassurance that God is real and He makes all things good -- even through the most difficult experiences of our lives. 

He gives us the color purple in nature and, through His words, encourages us to consider the lilies....an intricate, beautiful flower He uses to remind us we are His highly adored children.  And like every parent who loves their child, it is His desire for us to live a beautiful life -- one of abundant joy, praise, and gratitude -- and not anxiety, depression and misery. 

I love the Nicole C. Mullen song 'Redeemer' that reminds us of this: 

"The very same God that spins things in orbit, runs to the weary, the worn and the weak.
And the same gentle hands that hold me when I'm broken, they conquered death to bring me victory."

We would often close out the Lily Retreat with the video below highlighting Nicole's encouraging song, combined with beautiful photos and words of wisdom.  If you are experiencing the winter of life right now, I pray it will encourage you to joyfully welcome a new, beautiful spring.

Much love, Cindy