If I were to describe in a few words different flowers, I would say that roses are romantic and velvety. Petunias are pretty and resilient. Impatiens are delightful and delicate. Tulips, my favorites, are lovely, elegant, strong, and graceful.
One of the many things I love about this time of year is seeing the tulips rise to the occasion, lifting their heads high while still maintaining a sense of humility. A tulip, with its curved, silky petals and long, green stem and leaves, is like the beautiful girl who doesn’t know how beautiful she is. She can be doing nothing more than standing alone feeling the sun warm her face, and those who happen to see her find themselves doing a double take. Yes, the tulip is a true work of beauty.
My own tulips are taking their time in reaching maturity this year. While those of my neighbors have already bloomed, my tulips—about a half-dozen of them planted near our front walkway—are a little more than halfway into their springtime resurrection.
I pass them at least twice a day and make a point of checking on their progress. Day by day, I think I see a little bit more growth, the stem reaching higher, the green covering of the buds gradually changing to pink, hinting at the color that will reveal itself soon. I don’t touch the tulips for fear of hurting them. It is like spotting a butterfly in its chrysalis. The small butterfly is in there, a living, breathing creature preparing to make its debut, but it’s not quite ready to greet the world. The butterfly, like the tulip, will appear when the time is right.
Spring and its renewal of life—the reawakening of trees and flowers from their dormancy—make me happy, pure and simple. Not just for aesthetic reasons, though I do love the blooming flowers, the sweet fragrances, the vivid colors. I love spring because it makes me think of God and how amazing His creations are. In spring, what appeared dead and gray last week is now budding bright shades of green. What was asleep is now awake. To paraphrase a bit of Scripture, what was lost is found.
Take a few minutes and look around at the brilliance of our Father. It’s no wonder that we call him the Creator. Consider the human brain and all its complexities. For that matter, think about the human heart, that fist-sized muscle pumping blood throughout our bodies. What amazing creations. And what about the vast oceans and the countless creatures, from the miniscule to the massive, that live on the floor of the seas. And consider the stars. Snowflakes. Butterflies. Tulips.
I leave you with Psalm 95:3-7—For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.
—Kim Paras
