derekmaul

“giving the garden back to God” – rain, vibrant lilies, & the call to bloom

IMG_3278Here in the Tampa area we’re well into our “summer pattern” of Florida weather. That means heat, humidity, afternoon storms and the occasional tropical system blowing through.

One positive about all this (mostly) is the unremitting growth. Grass, flowers, trees, mold, weeds, everything. You name it, and it’s going to grow, grow, grow. Our new sod is beautiful; thick, green, tall. Even the old grass is doing well.

Then there are my favorites, the beautiful flowers you see in the picture. I’m sure they have a scientific classification, but Rebekah and I simply call them “Rain Lilies,” because every time it rains we get a new flush that seem to appear without any prior announcement. They last just a few days, then wither away in the heat. But every time there’s a fresh rain the lilies come back, bright and fresh and full of affirmation.

IMG_3277Our Rain Lilies have proliferated well beyond our carefully conceived plans. Instead of “a few along this pathway,” and “a bunch under this tree,” the lilies have taken up residence in three distinct areas: “hither,” “thither,” and “yon.” They seem to have a more balanced sense of outdoor design than the naive homeowners who first tried sketching it all out on a graph before eventually throwing their hands in the air.

Rebekah has a phrase for this level of landscape architecture. “We’ve given the garden back to God,” she says.

SURRENDER: “Giving it back to God” turns out to be a useful plan for life in general. And I’m talking about surrender rather than resignation. Resignation has to do with giving up, whereas surrender has to do with giving over.

  • Not “Giving up,” but “Giving over.“

Personally, I’ve found that’s when I tend to bloom; that’s when I shine like “the lilies of the field;” that’s when the refreshing rain of God’s love, and grace, and mercy transform me – albeit for just a short while – into something alive, vibrant, and beautiful!

– DEREK

All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

I surrender all,
I surrender all.
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

All to Jesus I surrender,
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory to His name!

Judson W. Van De Venter, 1896

6 comments

  1. Of course they have a scientific name, Derek. The genus is Zephyranthes (sorry but I can’t italicize here, but it is a very cool name) and there are numerous species. They are not actually true lilies, but are in the amaryllis family. You are absolutely correct in calling them rain lilies which is the common name that all of us botany geek types use as well. They have been around for a long time, can propagate vegetatively and make seeds (if they are not of a sterile hybrid variety). If you pay attention, you may see them blooming all over the highways’ roadside ditches in FL after a good rain. They are really cool and who cares if they spread like crazy since they are so ephemeral? I love plants like this that come to life after a rain. Resurrection ferns are also a favorite of mine. If you care, your particular rain lilies are probably Zephyranthes rosea. I bet your garden looks just fabulous. You have made me want to go get some for the yard here. Time to call around and see who has them.

    TTFN,
    Stormy

    Reply

    • Great comment, Stormy. Glad to hear you get some of those encouraging lilies around Rayleigh. Send me a photo when yours bloom!
      Peace and blessings – DEREK

      Reply

    • “All to Jesus, I surrender” – one of the oldy goldy songs of my Baptist youth. Too bad we good Presbys don’t get to sing that one accasionally. But to surrender all. Might be too much for many of us in the pews.
      Love your rain lillies!

      Reply

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