Day 87 Poppy

Can you hear her? She is exhaling worship. She is breathing as she opens to the sun.

Is it weird that I imagine flowers breathing?

It is just that when I see this poppy in her full extension of glory, I see surrender. It is very hard to hold your breath when you are giving up control. Surrender is an unclenching of the soul.

When Jesus tells us not to worry in Matthew 6 he shows us the flowers of the field as an example. When I photographed this lovely poppy today I thought about that verse in new way. Could he have been telling us to look at the flowers because their very essence exudes surrender and worship? And yet they are more beautifully clothed than kings.

I could learn some things from the flowers.

There is an endless things list things I could be worrying about these days, and I often do. That is why I take comfort in the silhouette of this sweet flower. It is a sweet reminder that worry is not part of my inheritance. My life is hidden with Christ and he alone holds me. Therefore I can stretch my arms wide and breathe. I can dance, laugh and shine as he would have me to.

I don’t have to control anything. I can worship and breathe, just like the flowers.

Matthew 6:28-34 ~” ‘And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’ “