Flowers are Good

February 14, 2008

Lar,

I realize that is an incredibly profound title, so I will take the time to explain. Naturally, you realize that it is Valentine’s Day (at least I hope you do!). And flowers are a hot item on a day like this. Well, the reason this is news is because there was day when I did not really appreciate flowers much at all.

The reason? Well, they just aren’t very practical or useful. I used to think about purchasing flowers for Erin and fret over the fact that they would die in a few days. I mean, come on, at least if I get you an outfit or a sweet electronics item, you can use the thing over and over. But not flowers. They are here today and gone tomorrow. Even the Word of God points to the transient nature of man using the short life of a flower.

But what about the fact that God created flowers? And He called them good. Certainly the Fall shortened their lifespan (as it did for us), but even still, how useful are they? Why should I shell out a few extra bucks on a day like this for some flowers?

If you can’t think of an answer to that question, let me know and I’ll pray for you. For as I look back at my arguments against flowers, I realize that they flowed from an incredibly limited perspective of life as a human being on God’s good earth. For as I look around, I see numerous impractical, even, I dare say, unnecessary things. But I ask myself, unnecessary to what?

For if I think flowers unnecessary, I have to face the fact that my vision for life does not line up with God’s. After all, flowers are here. God created them. And He is out to fill the universe with the riches of His glory through the likes of us and all His creation. So if flowers were not necessary to the common good, they would not be here. Beauty itself cannot be limited to some category or explained away. But my goodness, beauty is powerful.

I have gotten flowers for Erin before. And I have always enjoyed her response and also, the way in which those flowers brightened my own heart when I walked into the dining room to see them there. The room was different. But why? A little more happiness arose from seeing Erin’s face and from simply walking into the same room I walk in day in and day out. But why? The presence of greater beauty, impractical beauty. But useless beauty? I think not.

I don’t the answers Lar, and I certainly can’t think them through in this scattered post, but I simply want to say that flowers are good. And of course, I mean to speak to more than flowers in that simple statement. Let us ask ourselves: What are some of the impractical things that we might be inclined to overlook or speak against because they don’t seem to serve a purpose in spiritual growth? What are some things that we can (or have) argue(d) against in a pseudo-spiritual way? I say to my shame that I have argued against many a thing that God has declared good. Pray that I might do so no longer.

One final note: Erin’s response to flowers today was favorable as usual. But I also bought a flower for Abigail. I can’t overstate her delight. Surely, she is much closer to the Garden than I. May the Lord grant us the grace to delight in God’s good, impractical gifts to His great glory. I just know He yearns for more of His children to be like children and to delight in all that He delights in, including, of course, flowers.

Growing in grace,

Joe

Posted by Joe | Filed Under Random Musings, Seeking Him 

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