I was thrilled yesterday when I was driving down the dirt
road near my home on the way to Mass and I noticed that a few of the beautiful
“May flowers” were in bloom. I think they might be called cowslips or something
like that, but I always call them May Flowers because they usually make their
appearance in the ditches in early May. This year, I thought they would be
“June flowers” because of the unseasonably cold spring, but nonetheless, it’s
the first week of May and a few have begun to appear along the road.
For years, these harbingers of spring were always a source
of joy, signaling the beginning of a wonderful time of year for me. This year
is no exception; if fact, after the incredibly harsh winter, they are even more
welcome because I still have yet to see a bud on a tree in my yard. I know that
only 30-40 miles south it is a different story, but here, spring is still not
arrived in full force….YET!
As I continued on my drive, I pondered these beautiful
yellow flowers and the lesson I could learn from them. Over and over again, I
heard the words….. “Hardy” and “in spite of”….in my mind and spirit. Hmmm….
Earlier this week when I was perusing some of the flower catalogs that were
sent to me in the mail, I kept reading about some of the perennials that caught
my eye and the word hardy was used to describe many of them. I learned the hard
way many years ago as a novice gardener that I need to plant “hardy” perennials
in this northern climate, as opposed to “tender” ones that cannot withstand the
subzero temperatures. Hardy…..hmmm. The speaker at the Honor’s Breakfast at the
college on Friday also used the word hardy in her speech. Hmm…… and now, I ponder these mayflowers and
sense “hardy.” And so I prayed…..and thought…..and
reflected on this word and its meaning to me on my journey.
The dictionary defines hardy as “capable of enduring
fatigue, hardship, and exposure”; “strong”; “requiring courage, vigor, and endurance”.
Certainly these beautiful mayflowers could be considered hardy. After all,
there is NOTHING other than a few blades of grass blooming or budding anywhere
around them. In fact, the ditch is flooded over from the recent rains and the
current temperature is 29 degrees. And yet….in spite of these harsh conditions…..even
when everything around them appears lifeless….these flowers display God’s glory
to those who take the time to notice them. Hardy…… a wonderful way to be. What an attribute….to be able to withstand
hardship….to endure…..to be strong….and yet….still blossom and bloom...in spite of. I want to be “hardy” and yet “tender” at the
same time. And so I prayed……God, make me
hardy on this journey.
Some of you have been experiencing some pretty harsh
conditions in this journey we call life. We have group members here who are
battling very serious illnesses…..cancer, surgeries, hip replacements,
sickness, disability & pain……and YET….you still blossom and bloom and
remain positive. YOU are hardy! We have
several here who have lost loved ones in recent months and are coping with
grief and loss and all the emotions that come with death. YOU……are hardy. Others are caring for loved
ones who are fighting illness and disease, recovering from surgery, or are
coping with depression, and in spite of it…you are being kind, patient, and
loving. YOU, too, are hardy. Each of us
who battle to overcome weight, addiction, unhealthy attitudes, habits or
behavior….who try each day to be better than the previous one…..who struggle to
be kind and gentle….who want to give up, but don’t……are hardy.
Life is not easy. There is beauty and joy hidden within each
day, but we all have days when life is tough, especially when we are trying to
make positive changes to improve our health and well-being. Unemployment,
addiction, broken relationships, struggles, fear, abuse…..you name it……can
threaten to rob us of the joy and peace that God desires for us. We struggle;
we fall; we are tempted; we fail. We make mistakes….and yet…..we keep trying……we
hop…..we endure…..we get up when we fall…….we keep on keeping on…..we
trust. We are “capable of enduring
fatigue, hardship, exposure”; “strong”; “requiring courage, vigor, endurance”
and, like those beautiful mayflowers, we bloom for the glory of God. My
friends, WE ARE HARDY! Because we are
HARDY…we CAN and we WILL change our lives!
Make it a beautiful day!
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