Consider the lilies

Matthew 6:28-34 NKJV

"So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; [29] and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [30] Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? [31] "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' [32] For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. [33] But seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. [34] Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Some of the most beautiful flowers are with us so briefly. We love the tiger iris, of which its intensely intricate bloom lasts just a day before it fades away.

But that is its time to shine - just a day - but what a day it had - out beautifying all the other blooms in our garden!

When we mourn the death of little ones, perhaps we need to see through God's eyes? They are the tiger irises of the human race - their time is so short, but their brief bloom is in God's timing.

We need to stop and C-O-N-S-I-D-E-R the lilies. Don't take just a brief glance - see the complexity of its petals unfurling to the glory of its Creator. Gaze at the colours, the design - its truly amazing.

A friend sent a photo of her newborn grandchild. She is God's new bloom. She's beautiful in the eyes of her family, but she's just a bud of what is to come. Like our poppies, they took ages to grow up and then, all of a sudden, their glory is revealed.

So many mysteries of timing we need to leave in God's Hands. There are too many tragedies, happenings that are out of our control.

We spend too much time considering the bad things - matters too great for us.

So we pray first, as Jesus taught us:

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your Name, Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Selah the lilies!