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Cherry Blossoms
Cherry Blossoms
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Walking on the water without sinking
Years ago I moved into a neighborhood; my husband and I fell in love with the house in October or Novemeber, bid on the house (it was in foreclosure) and were able to move in some time between Christmas and New Years.
Imagine my surprise when, come Spring, we were surrounded by pink! The whole court turns beautiful shades of pink as the blossoms fill the tree branches overhead. It's like walking in billowy puffs of pink clouds. They provide shade, shelter, beauty, joy, fun...
People shake the branches gently over the children in the neighborhood and the kids laugh as they have pink "snow" fall on them.
Someone pointed out a few years into our living here that you never know how long the blossoms will last from year to year. You see, they are quite fragile. A good wind or rain will pelt them some time - and the blossoms will make the ground completely pink the next morning. No blossoms left on trees. Sometimes the blossoms last for weeks, one season every now and then, they only last a day or two.
Well, I started praying about this because I enjoy the blossoms so much and they are so short lived. We live here 52 weeks of the year, and 2-3 weeks (at the most) we have pink everywhere. It's just so joyous and happy, that I'd personally like for it to last as long as possible.
As I type this, at this moment, we're in prime cherry blossom season. I look out the window from my computer keyboard and I see the whole back deck engulfed by cherry tree limbs covered in pink blossoms.
The blossoms appeared probably 3 days ago. They bud for a day or two, then burst into color one morning. 2 days ago, we had a terribly windy day - and just pelts of rain. I had taken approximately 200 photos of blossoms for this blog so that I would have plenty of photos to use throughout the year to keep this blog feeling fresh and happy and colorful.
Well, as the rain and wind pelted the trees outside (I actually saw some trim on one of the houses billowing up and waving around violently in the wind - it was that bad), I stayed inside and felt grateful that I had taken those photos. I also felt grateful that we have the blossoms. I felt grateful that we have them still, even for short bouts. I just sat there, in my home, actively loving the blossoms.
I woke up the next morning and fully expected to see all of the blossoms on the sidewalk and in the yards. Pink walkways, un-touched by foot traffic in the morning (like freshly fallen pink snow). I walked to my bedroom window, pushed aside the curtains and... lo and behold - all the blossoms were still on the trees!! I rejoiced! They made it through the night! I stared at them in amazement - yesterday and today. All day I have been hanging out in their wondrous splendor. Watching my son play with neighbor children as we only went inside to drink water and use the bathroom.
I also just now realized... that for the last few weeks I have been actively praying to understand a story better - the one where Peter is walking on the water towards Jesus. Peter sees the wind and the waves around him. Peter is overcome by this display and he panics, and starts to sink. Jesus is completely un-touched by the display made by the wind and waves; Jesus reaches out his hand to save Peter. The example I follow, of course, is Jesus. To the best of my ability, every day I do my best to follow Jesus.
I have had many cruel things said to me in the last year, by thoughtless people. I admit, I've often cried for days and felt hated and reviled and tortured by these comments and the people who made them. I do not under any circumstance *want* to feel this way, and yet, here I have been, feeling hurt and harmed. So it came to me a few weeks ago to ponder the story of Peter sinking in the water. And I have just let it simmer in my head as I go about my life.
Moments before I sat down to write this post, I realized that the blossoms were pelted with what appeared to be angry, nasty wind and heavy rain. And yet - there they were - the next morning - completely un-touched. Un-harmed. Joyfully greeting me in the morning with their happy pink-ness. Looking at me - me looking at them with a renewed sense of awe, joy, appreciation, gratitude.
I have, yet again, learned from the cherry blossoms. That's why I've started this blog - to share all the good the cherry blossoms bring me every year.
When I am feeling attacked, I can just remember to weather the storm, and wake up looking joyful and refreshed and ready to greet the day. I don't need to get taken in by the angry outlook - it might look nasty and un-caring. But it doesn't have to harm me in the least. I don't need to feel abused or hurt - I don't need to leave Christ-like thinking even for an instance. I can stay in my pure Christ-like, loving thoughts, every moment, and stay on TOP of the water - untouched.
I am grateful.
(Thank you, God.)
Imagine my surprise when, come Spring, we were surrounded by pink! The whole court turns beautiful shades of pink as the blossoms fill the tree branches overhead. It's like walking in billowy puffs of pink clouds. They provide shade, shelter, beauty, joy, fun...
People shake the branches gently over the children in the neighborhood and the kids laugh as they have pink "snow" fall on them.
Someone pointed out a few years into our living here that you never know how long the blossoms will last from year to year. You see, they are quite fragile. A good wind or rain will pelt them some time - and the blossoms will make the ground completely pink the next morning. No blossoms left on trees. Sometimes the blossoms last for weeks, one season every now and then, they only last a day or two.
Well, I started praying about this because I enjoy the blossoms so much and they are so short lived. We live here 52 weeks of the year, and 2-3 weeks (at the most) we have pink everywhere. It's just so joyous and happy, that I'd personally like for it to last as long as possible.
As I type this, at this moment, we're in prime cherry blossom season. I look out the window from my computer keyboard and I see the whole back deck engulfed by cherry tree limbs covered in pink blossoms.
The blossoms appeared probably 3 days ago. They bud for a day or two, then burst into color one morning. 2 days ago, we had a terribly windy day - and just pelts of rain. I had taken approximately 200 photos of blossoms for this blog so that I would have plenty of photos to use throughout the year to keep this blog feeling fresh and happy and colorful.
Well, as the rain and wind pelted the trees outside (I actually saw some trim on one of the houses billowing up and waving around violently in the wind - it was that bad), I stayed inside and felt grateful that I had taken those photos. I also felt grateful that we have the blossoms. I felt grateful that we have them still, even for short bouts. I just sat there, in my home, actively loving the blossoms.
I woke up the next morning and fully expected to see all of the blossoms on the sidewalk and in the yards. Pink walkways, un-touched by foot traffic in the morning (like freshly fallen pink snow). I walked to my bedroom window, pushed aside the curtains and... lo and behold - all the blossoms were still on the trees!! I rejoiced! They made it through the night! I stared at them in amazement - yesterday and today. All day I have been hanging out in their wondrous splendor. Watching my son play with neighbor children as we only went inside to drink water and use the bathroom.
I also just now realized... that for the last few weeks I have been actively praying to understand a story better - the one where Peter is walking on the water towards Jesus. Peter sees the wind and the waves around him. Peter is overcome by this display and he panics, and starts to sink. Jesus is completely un-touched by the display made by the wind and waves; Jesus reaches out his hand to save Peter. The example I follow, of course, is Jesus. To the best of my ability, every day I do my best to follow Jesus.
I have had many cruel things said to me in the last year, by thoughtless people. I admit, I've often cried for days and felt hated and reviled and tortured by these comments and the people who made them. I do not under any circumstance *want* to feel this way, and yet, here I have been, feeling hurt and harmed. So it came to me a few weeks ago to ponder the story of Peter sinking in the water. And I have just let it simmer in my head as I go about my life.
Moments before I sat down to write this post, I realized that the blossoms were pelted with what appeared to be angry, nasty wind and heavy rain. And yet - there they were - the next morning - completely un-touched. Un-harmed. Joyfully greeting me in the morning with their happy pink-ness. Looking at me - me looking at them with a renewed sense of awe, joy, appreciation, gratitude.
I have, yet again, learned from the cherry blossoms. That's why I've started this blog - to share all the good the cherry blossoms bring me every year.
When I am feeling attacked, I can just remember to weather the storm, and wake up looking joyful and refreshed and ready to greet the day. I don't need to get taken in by the angry outlook - it might look nasty and un-caring. But it doesn't have to harm me in the least. I don't need to feel abused or hurt - I don't need to leave Christ-like thinking even for an instance. I can stay in my pure Christ-like, loving thoughts, every moment, and stay on TOP of the water - untouched.
I am grateful.
(Thank you, God.)
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Lessons from the blossoms
The lessons of the cherry blossoms that return year after year to my neck-of-the-woods have taught me so many spiritual lessons from year to year. In this blog, I consider the blossoms' lessons, as well as other spiritual insights I have every day that I enjoy and observe God's existence. I hope you will enjoy the blog. "Come and see... follow me..."
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