There is such beautiful variety and harmony of color in the wildflowers of nature: Blazing Star and Rattlesnake Master standing in a field of Goldenrod. Their colors draw me in. Are they weeds or flowers? Are they something else?
I just learned today that portions of the Rattlesnake Master (the plant that looks like it has balls of thorns) were used by early Americans to make footwear - sort of like woven sandals. I wouldn't have suspected this if I had remained soley focused on the variety of color these plants have. This makes me wonder: what else am I missing when I focus too closely on any one thing in particular? May my eyes see clearly and my mind be open to the new and unsuspected.
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Those of you who live near where I do may recognize this place. It is the path that runs from Eagle Point Park to the sand point. The summer crowds and activities are gone. Peace and quiet rule the day. Has your hectic summer run its course? Is it time to have a little peace and quiet? And to do some reflection?
The yellow petals, soft and beautiful, are supported by the muted green leaves behind them. It is a fascinating relationship. It is what friendship and families are about. Family and friends are there, in the background supporting! Can you be a support to those around you today?
This prairie wildflower (Blazing Star) is incredible in full bloom! With the soft tendrils of its petals it appears so delicate, yet with the hardy stem shooting upwards it is also strong and resilient.
I have been so blessed in my life by having experienced some wonderful people like this Blazing Star - beautiful and delicate, yet strong and resilient! To all these widlflowers in my life I say, "Thank you!" And to everyone I offer this invitation, "Might you be a wildflower for someone?" I have some friends who have concerns that with age their beauty will fade and diminish.
Consider this wildflower. The color and hue of its petals may not be as vibrant as in days previous. There may be small blemishes. The weather and circumstances may have inflicted tatters and tears. It is aging. And what is to happen in the days to come? Will the petals and leaves drop? Will the cone of the flower brown and dry out? Will the harsh winter snows come and sweep around it, burying all but the tallest portion? Where is its beauty then? It is even more beautiful as the days and seasons pass. For slowly it is revealed to us all, that its glory is not in the color of its youth, but in the promise it bears for the future. In the harshest of conditions we see it carries in its seeds the promise of the future. By sharing itself life is renewed. And so my friends, you are beautiful in your youth, but it as we see you age that your true beauty is revealed. I was hoping for a view similar to this as I got up today because I wanted to take a final dawn canoe ride before school started. The photo is actually a shot my son, Zach, took in the BWCA this summer. Instead I got a cloudy day, still dripping with the remnants of the night-long rains that moved through the area. You don't always get what you want.
But I am okay with that. There is beauty in the rain as it caresses and waters the earth and its creatures. If I had gotten my desire for the striking sunrise, would creatures great and small have been given what they needed? I shall, for this moment, relish the beauty of the rain. |
AuthorJoel Kreger is a writer who grew up in Minnesota, spent many years of his life in Iowa and Wisconsin, and now lives in Minnesota. His life experience includes careers of serving 17 years as a Lutheran parish pastor, working 18 years as a public school teacher, and now writing as a novelist and blogger. Archives
April 2019
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