Be still and know that
I am God. (Ps. 46:10)
Today I saw the opening of an evening primrose.
A primrose bush apparently blooms for only a few weeks
during the year. Each bloom opens at
about 8:30 PM on whatever evening it is ready, opening from stem to full bloom
in about one minute as if being played in time lapse speed, only to fall withered to the ground the
following day, that particular stem never to rebloom. As with any flower, the bloom itself is
lovely. Yet, to see only the bloom and
not its opening is to miss its miraculous gift.
No words, no photos, not even a video, can capture the full awesomeness of witnessing God’s hand at work.
Personal presence. The patience of experiencing creation while the ever-active Creator is at work. The opening of the primrose, the dolphins at play in the winter surf, the distinct songs of the birds of the woodlands, walking through a light summer rain and welcoming the refreshment to our bodies, the rejoicing at each new change as a tiny planted seed peeks from the soil and gradually produces tomatoes, or apples, or daisies. We can know these with our minds, but only in our stillness will we become a player in the experience, and in that experience we find sweet intimacy with the Artist at work. We miss creation if we define it as a past event, finished and complete, for creation lives. The creative work of God is in progress at every geographic location at every moment, so convenient for each of us, lest we should seek those moments to "be still."
Personal presence. The patience of experiencing creation while the ever-active Creator is at work. The opening of the primrose, the dolphins at play in the winter surf, the distinct songs of the birds of the woodlands, walking through a light summer rain and welcoming the refreshment to our bodies, the rejoicing at each new change as a tiny planted seed peeks from the soil and gradually produces tomatoes, or apples, or daisies. We can know these with our minds, but only in our stillness will we become a player in the experience, and in that experience we find sweet intimacy with the Artist at work. We miss creation if we define it as a past event, finished and complete, for creation lives. The creative work of God is in progress at every geographic location at every moment, so convenient for each of us, lest we should seek those moments to "be still."
We are a busy people, settling for the passing God rituals, for
talk about God, for a quick mealtime prayer.
But all around us, the Master Artist is painting, sculpting, creating
for our pleasure, knowing that most of
the primrose blooms will fall to the ground without our recognition. Yet the Creator creates another and another,
just in case we might find stillness for a moment and watch creation's work. Every flower holds its own mystery, fauna its own gift.
Be still and know that I am God, says the 46th Psalm, and if we
are still enough to watch the primrose open, we rest, not in mind alone, but in
soul, with the Peace of this Psalm’s beginning:
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth
give way though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their
surging. (Ps. 46:1-3)
Today I saw the opening of an evening primrose, and the very
movement of God’s hand brushed my soul.
*Special note of thanks to Cathy Robbins for inviting me to share her primrose!
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