A Must Share!

So I just had to share this! I hope that by now you can all see how good the Lord is! He has presented Himself to us in so many ways: peace that we often cannot understand, innumerable blessings, new friends, prayer, love the list goes on and on. He is now presenting His character to me through creation. This is along the same lines as my last post, specifically in regards to the meanings of flowers. My best friend and Sister through Christ, sent me a beautiful presentation of purple tulips. Oh they are just precious. I tell you, as I look at the flowers that have been sent to us, I see a glimmer of Ruthie in each one; the beauty of the yellow roses, and the sweetness of the tulips.

So, since the last batch of flowers held a hidden treasure from God I just figured that I would check out the meaning of purple tulips. Our God is a consistent God and I trusted that He placed a certain design of flowers in my sister's mind that the Holy Spirit could work through (He does this quite often between us). Not surprisingly I found some meanings that dug even deeper than the roses.

Here is some of my research:

The meaning of tulips is generally perfect love. Like many flowers, different colors of tulips also often carry their own significance. Red tulips are most strongly associated with true love, while purple symbolizes royalty*

Lets put this into words that a loving God would speak to us. Who is the only one capable of "perfect love?" God himself. If you think that you have perfect love, I must lovingly tell you that you are wrong. No human is capable of living out the words in 1 Corinthians 13 without failing. We are not always patient, kind, and never keeper of wrongs. Only our amazing God can accomplish that. God is also known as King of kings and Lord of lords...making Him ROYALTY. His Majesty, God Almighty is the only one that can produce perfect love. God is the only one who is so perfect in love that He would sacrifice his son Jesus on our behalf...a perfect love that allows for the assurance that we will see Ruthie again in heaven. What a promise from God wrapped up in a bouquet of purple tulips.

Tulips are one of the few flowers that continue to elongate after they have been cut, often stretching toward a light source**

This fact just blew me away. Boy is this a parallel to my life or what? I have been cut down by the storms of life, but rather than remain where I have been cut and die (as most flowers do after you cut them), I seek Jesus. In my seeking I stretch my arms up to heaven and proclaim the glory of Christ, I proclaim John 8:12 when Jesus makes the claim that he is the "light of the world." I stretch myself towards my light source, Jesus, and even in circumstance that most think should produce death, I grow.

Thank you Jesus. The next time you think God is not showing himself to you, think again. Look at the subtle clues and the hints of creation all around you that proclaim God. I leave you with the words of Psalm 19 and I pray that you see Jesus in a fresh way after reading this and view his creation as not only the Earth we live on, but a way for Him to speak and minister to you.

Psalm 19:1-4

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they reveal knowledge.

They have no speech, they use no words;

no sound is heard from them.

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

* Proflowers

**FlowershopNetwork