“You have the prettiest pink tree in front of your house. I love looking at it while I’m paying the bills at the computer.”
My neighbor texted me these words this past spring. It made my day. Four months later it still does. That same tree is now preparing for winter and its glory of spring seems long faded. It enters hibernation, all in preparation for May, the month it shines, the month it was created to represent.
There’s a few lessons I learn from her kind text:
1. There is beauty all around us. Even when we are paying bills. Even when we are doing the mundane things that have to be done. Even when we are doing what we have done thousands of times before. There are bursts of pink and stunning sunsets and the smiles of a child. Our creator calls out beauty that resides deep in our soul. Calls us to open our eyes and our hearts; to zoom out of the dull and into his vibrancy.
2. She could have looked at the tree, enjoyed it and gone right back to paying bills. But she took the time to let me know, she invited me in. Oh how often I am impacted by something. By the big and the small. The things you might expect and the things hidden to the crowd. And often I keep them to myself. But her simple gesture included me. Her enjoyment of the blossoms was spread to me, she magnified the voice of God by sharing.
3. Remembrance is powerful. As we enter fall it can be hard to remember that spring will come again. Leaves fall, flowers having their last hurrah. Dying changes our landscape. But new life will come again. And again. Life always triumphing over the silence. But sometimes we forget. In the middle of a season of loss or waiting or uncertainty, we forget. We forget new life will come. We forget how God has moved in the past. But her words call me to remember that the hibernating tree will be pink again. I need words of life when darkness comes.
As we begin this week, will I, will you:
1. Notice the beauty around you?
2. Tell some one about it?
3. Help someone remember truth of who they are, of who they are made to be?
And then I would love to hear what you notice! Would you come back and share your discovery?
Happy Monday.
Linking today with No Words Needed
Melanie, your dogwood is a great ornamental tree because of it’s spring blossoms, fall color and horizontal branching holds the snow in winter. PLUS the blossoms have red spots on the four tips of the petals representing the blood Christ shed on the cross, the four petals making the shape of the cross! This is more evident with the white blossoming dogwood but I know you’d love knowing the symbolism of your tree adds to its beauty! (my year of horticulture at the University of Cincinnati is paying off!)
Diane
I did not know all of that- I will look at the tree with much more knowledge now 🙂
Thank you!
Melanie…..we don’t have dogwoods in New Zealand unless we call them something else…this one is a joy to behold! Pictures of beauty, and seeing beauty in the world around me always cause praise to break forth from my mouth as it did when I saw this tree…Thanks for sharing.
Of course, we are in Spring now 🙂
I love what you have encouraged us to do and appreciate the reminder.
God Bless you…your posts always bless me.
Love this reminder!! Thank you for sharing!!
Oh Melanie, I love this! I am stopping by from Jenn’s place for NoWordNeeded but oh how I am grateful for your words here! Speak Life! Yes… don’t just think it – but share it! Amen!
Your tree is beautiful! I wish I could see it in person. Thank you for pointing me in such a wonderful direction today. Thank you for reminding me new life will come! Blessings!
Melanie, this is so good. All three points speak to me this morning. Thank you…I’ll be coming back to them! And, my yes, what a glorious tree! Grateful for your eyes that seek beauty and your voice that speaks life!