I have this gift...

It is a gift from God. And I know and understand that the world is much bigger than me, and much more beautiful than what I allow myself to see through my own eyes of business and scheduling. But there is one thing, that no matter what - will always set me in a beautiful mood and make me marvel in awe at beauty. It is a lily.

"I see a lily on thy brow.

With anguish moist and fever dew;

And on thy cheek a fading rose.

Fast withereth too.

I met a lady in the meadow.

Full, beautiful, a fairy's child;

Her hair was long, her foot was light,

And her eyes were wild."

~ John Keats

"I know a little garden close

Set thick with lily and red rose;

Where I would wander if I might

From dewy dawn til dewy night;

And have one with me wandering."

~William Morris

There is just something so amazing about lilies. The complexity. The variety. The majesty. Each type of lily is different, grows in different areas in the world, and forms differently. I feel that lilies are God's gift to each person. The way they grow and command that you pay attention with their detail and color and majesty. It really just reminds me of how beautiful everything is created when the creator is as beautiful and creative as anything we could ever imagine. And he delighted in the creation of each item. Some people get very moved by sunrises, mountaintop views, freshly fallen snow, and so do I - they are so beautiful. However, nothing stirs in my heart quite like a lily in full bloom. It reminds me that if the Lord could create a flower that beautiful - how much more beautiful am I in His eyes?

:-)