Surprise!

A few weeks ago, my friend planted some asparagus and rhubarb crowns. She didn’t expect them to grow much this season, and certainly not to produce anything edible – they were older stock, planted late. But, these good deals could be great perennials with some time.

What a delightful surprise, then, when the rhubarb patch sprouted. Not just because it shows that the coming years are likely to provide fruit, but apparently there were lily bulbs mixed in among the distinctive rhubarb stalks.

And so, the rhubarb patch has changed, at least for this year, as a single calla lily is gracing the bed. It’s unexpected, but pleasantly so! This simple lily is inviting us not only to appreciate the surprise of colour and beauty, but also to embrace that sometimes life doesn’t quite align with our plans.

As Lao Tzu advises: “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”

Change can be difficult and stressful, but if we are able to face the changes of this life with a firm foundation of faith, we can embrace the surprise and beauty that God is placing before us. Through scriptures, we are assured that God is with us whatever we are going through.

Part of that constant accompaniment is those unexpected delights, those small and subtle signs that something is different - minor changes like a lily in a rhubarb patch – that invite us to ponder and reflect on where grace is growing.

And we can be sure that those signs are always there. It’s up to us to open our hearts and minds to recognise them in our midst.

The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life. ~William Morris

Uneventful

I had a conversation this week about a recent travel experience, to which I was happy to reply that it had been delightfully uneventful. The traffic was fine, there were minimal delays, inconveniences were minor, and there was a distinct absence of drama. Delightfully uneventful.

Uneventful is okay. It can be pleasant!

Often, our society seems to expect the spectacular. We wait to be amazing and astonished, and overlook the beauty of the ordinary. And we do this at our own peril; for if we come to presume that each day should be more special than the day before, then we are setting ourselves up for disappointment.

If, however, we anticipate that a day might be uneventful, we are bringing our attitudes to the norm – the common – the typical. We are not lowering our standards, but appreciating the reality of what is before us.

This brings with it a sense of gratitude: it gives us a healthy foundation when we encounter unusual experiences of a less-than-pleasant reality; it also grants us greater respect for the happier-than-normal moments.

Our faith is another expression of the normal: we encounter our daily journey as an opportunity to grow in our relationship with God. If we are expecting great daily spiritual epiphanies, we are likely to be disappointed. If we are content with consistent (if uneventful) faith nurture, then we are more likely to be surprised by joy as we celebrated those tiny glimpses of holiness that are always being revealed to us.

For when we are truly on a journey of faith, we recognise that no moment is truly uneventful. They are full of grace and miracle that simply surround us with God’s loving presence.

 

Cake!

Some days, I watch cake decorating videos. They are abundant in social media; they are short and fun, some harmless entertainment of folks doing some amazing things with sugary confections. (And who doesn’t like cake?!) To be clear, I am not watching the ‘how-to’ videos – those also exist, and kudos to those who make them with the intention of sharing their knowledge and tips. Instead, I watch the 60-second shorts. I enjoy them. I find them relaxing and enjoyable.

For I am not intending to learn to be a cake decorator. While I can do basic decorations, I’m not trained to do the fancy stuff, nor do I have the sense that God is calling me in that vocational direction. I have benefitted from the tips and advice that others have shared. I have used the inspiration from what others have created. I could learn to do more, but am choosing not to – and that’s okay. We’re none of us meant to do every thing, and I have other outlets for my creativity.

Still, I really appreciate those who have learned and practiced and ply their trade. These folks not only have taken time and financial commitment and creativity and everything else, and made them into something impressive, they have also chosen to share that with the world through these cake videos. Many show their successes, as well as times when they are vulnerable in sharing an ‘ooops!’ moment.

I’m not interested in the competitive cake decorating shows… they exist, but they intend to bring out the combative nature, pitting people against each other. These can stoop to sabotage or ill-will – which increases viewership ratings, but not my preference. (Nor, in my opinion, in a healthy way.) I do, from time to time, enjoy watching the collaborative shows – where folks may be competing but are also helping one another in times of need (i.e. Bake Off shows!)

Finding our passion and our pastimes is important. They help us understand who we are, and who we are created to be. This is normal for all of us; we find what we enjoy and we do it! These expressions have the potential to show the world our values, our priorities, our best selves. And how we respond to others’ passions further demonstrates a lot about ourselves. We have the opportunity to be positive, affirming, supportive people, with friends and strangers alike.

I am comfortable with my limited skills in icing a cake. I have no problem with these spectacular, unique, bespoke cakes being more expensive than your average grocery store creation (a worker is worth their wages!) And I understand that the world is a more beautiful place because of those folks who decorate cakes – just as the world is a better place for all of our passions.

So whether we are witnessing/appreciating someone else’s craft, or practicing our own, or jumbling through new experiences just to see if that speaks to our soul, I hope we are doing it in supportive and positive ways. 

Love Muffins

I was recently gifted some rhubarb. I’m a big fan of rhubarb! I decided to use the rhubarb in a new-to-me recipe: rhubarb muffins with a cream cheese filling. Yum!

To make the muffins, I recognised that I was using the benefit from quite a few people who are dear to me… the friends’ rhubarb gift was mixed with a coconut/almond flour mix that was a suggestion from another friend some years ago (an easy gluten-free adaptation), the cream cheese had been on sale (a piece of information another friend had shared), and the trick of simplifying how to form said stuffed muffin came from a colleague years ago (when we were baking with pumpkin abundance). Even the baking itself touched with love, as I was in a friend’s kitchen using her pans and oven for the venture.

The end result was fabulous! They were moist, tangy, sweet – a perfect muffin – so good, in fact, that they were eaten a little more quickly than originally intended!

I am quite certain that I could have made these muffins without the gifts and adaptations from my dear ones, but the culmination of all of their offerings made for a spectacular treat. My muffins were all the better because of it. And, I had the psychological benefit of recalling all these dear ones, and dwelling in the gratitude of having them in my life.

As I was in that space of gratitude, I reflected that these muffins – with the influence of many – are analogous to our Christian life. We are in it together, we all have something to offer, we all have something to receive from others, we don’t know the scope or scale of how or when our offerings will be useful to the world.

Yet we do know that God has given us all ample gifts, and an abundance of opportunities to share them. We trust that as we come together in sharing of our faith, we are celebrating that the contributions of all are important and significant. And from this, we might find joy in the ‘embarrassment of riches’ of a living faith. For just as those muffins were a delightful gathering of love among the ingredients, so too is every aspect of our lives a culmination of those with whom we share the great gift of love.

The Highlight of My Week!

Every time I am planning to get together with a friend, she comments “It’s the highlight of my week!”.

And she means it! Whether we’re going for coffee, or sharing a meal, or running errands – we have a great time. And we are both intentional to convey how much our time together means to us. It’s the highlight of our week!

However, there are some weeks when we may have more than one highlight. And that’s okay. A new highlight does not diminish the one we’ve had – in fact it enhances it. How fortunate are we to have had multiple highlights!

This happens as we are open to being surprised by joy. We don’t feel the need to compare one experience of joy to another – we can simply delight in the delights! It could be connection with a friend, it could be meaningful worship, it could be a favourite song on the radio: when joy comes, we embrace it as a gift.

This is, for us, part of our faith. We do our best to live life looking for the moments of happiness, of connection, of love: for we know that when we experience love, we are experiencing God.

And when we experience God, it becomes the highlight of our week.

So we appreciate those moments, for exactly what and when they are. And we appreciate the connection to love (and to God) every time we say (and hear) “it’s the highlight of my week!”

“Consider the Lilies of the Field”

Do we? Do we take time to consider the lessons of the simple flowers that surround us?

I like lilies. They’re some of my favourite flowers. I’ve planted them in most of the homes where I’ve lived – a snippet of beauty emerging from the soil to literally colour my day.

This week, in walking past some lilies, I spent some time considering them… the daylilies that open each morning and close each evening... the specialty asiatic lilies, whose tiny flowers resting atop dense greenery providing an early bloom in the garden. The spotted tigers or stargazers, whose exuberance in opening ensures it is noticed among the other flowers. The list continues.

Lilies are definitely worth noticing – and considering.

They carry with them the symbolism of femininity and fertility, rooted (pardon the pun) in the tales of Greek gods Hera and Zeus. They grow from hardy bulbs, not seeds, and so are easily transported and resilient in a wide variety of temperatures (sometimes unknown to us by the critters that dig them up!)

Lilies offer their distinct aroma – with enthusiasm! Which attracts bees and other pollinators throughout the season, thereby supporting ecosystems and food systems.

They can be consumed (ask any deer about their preferred variety!), their colours are enjoyable, they are ornamental for quite a long duration, they fit in every style of garden. In some places, they grow as weeds in ditches; ornamenting roadways with their elegance. It’s no mistake they are used in holiday bouquets, as a symbol of the Resurrection, and in heraldry.

And they offer to us so much more.

When Jesus invites us to consider the lilies of the fields, he is inviting us to consider not just the ascetic reality that they offer, or the obvious reminder to trust in God’s ever-present care. He is further giving us a metaphor: to appreciate the flexibility and versatility of the plants; growing where they are planted, blooming with the full potential they contain, offering their gifts freely regardless of their surroundings.

The lilies of the field are sprinkled throughout, as a means to remind us all of the beauty that God gives to the earth – and to us. And in reminding us to consider these wild flowers, Jesus reminds us to stop and be amazed by the beauty of the earth.

For it is there: growing in us and through us and for us: blooming joy into our hearts, and inspiring us to consider how we may brighten the world around us just as the lilies brighten our lives. 

Enveloped By Grace

I was writing some letters this week – not emails, but hand-written cards. Nothing special, just something to pop in the post to some dear ones.

I paused when placing the notecards into the envelopes, however, and my mind began considering the simplicity and efficiency of an envelope. One sheet of paper, trimmed and folded just-so, to encase the contents (in this case, a note). This serves several purposes; it provides the address for delivery information, it keeps the note card clean, it protects any additional contents tucked to the card. An envelope is adaptable; it can be in any number of sizes and shapes to accommodate the contents, it can be patterned or plain, it can be a colour to compliment the card it carries. It may be sealed anonymously by a machine, or sealed with a kiss by a loved one.

An envelope denotes, in its simplicity, an encompassing of something valued or important.

It brought to mind that I am – that we are – all contained within an envelope of sorts: we are enveloped by grace.

God values us, and surrounds us with simple and efficient means to be protected, directed, and provided for. God’s means may be simple or intricate, and come in many sizes.

We are enveloped by God’s grace.

God puts into our paths the people and situations that carry us through life’s journeys; the good times, the challenging times, the ordinary times. God’s grace encompasses us with those who care about us, and those who care for us; for long times and short, in big ways and small.

God also puts us into the path of others, that we too may extend this care and comfort, extending the grace which we already recognise we have received.

It’s a simple thing, an envelope, but for me it’s also a welcome reminder to carry into the world: I am enveloped by God’s grace.