The Voice of God ~ Wildflower Edition

Visiting South Florida and hanging out at my brother's house, I got the urge to walk barefoot in his backyard, in the midst of palm trees and hedges, surrounded by lizards and birds up high and in the thicket scouting for food. The sun was shining and even at 8:00 AM, I felt the burn on my skin, which made me smile considering I just came out of cold winter and spring days in Virginia.

My heart was weary today. I felt forgotten by the people I love and I sensed the disconnection in my bones. I know on days like these, that I must step into nature. Nothing reminds me of my belonging to God more than to feel the wind on my face, to look up at the sky, to feel the earth on the soles of my feet, and to look at green. Or blue.

So what could the voice of God tell me today? I ask myself this question often. After all, God is always speaking. If I can pay attention (and I can), I will hear something. I know this because it is the experience I have on an almost daily basis—at least when I notice God, which takes me interrupting my navel-gazing.

Back to the backyard. As I was walking on the slightly unkempt grass which has probably not been mowed in 4-5 days, I saw these adorable wildflowers. My first thought was to lament the fact that they'll be gone as soon as the mower does its work. I leaned in some more to observe them, all perked up and gazing upward, unashamedly boasting their beauty. It seemed to me they grew a little taller as I watched them, almost as if to feel pleased from my gazing. At first, I assumed all the wildflowers were one kind, but once I noticed, I saw white ones, violet ones, pink round ones, and pink pointy ones. I started counting how many varieties we had here. "Seven!" I exclaimed, only to find many other kinds that were smaller and more camouflaged than I was expecting. Wow! So much life! By this time I was practically crawling (while sun tanning) just to catch a glimpse of the tiniest little things. What a magnificent work of art comes forth from the ground!

Disconnection? Not at the moment. The flowers have kept me company and God has soothed my achy heart.

I ask myself, what is the voice of God saying in the wildflowers? For each of us, dear readers, the lessons in nature will speak different messages. God reaches into our souls from a wide range of motion. For me today, I haven't fully explored this yet, as I'm writing this just minutes after coming inside. I don't feel the need to overanalyze or spiritualize the experience. Suffice it to say that in the wild, along with weeds and fire ants, we get the most natural expressions of beauty. In the disorganized mess, I can look for, and find, a variety of wild and unkempt good.

What is God saying to you today?