I recently took an early morning walk through the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall gardens. They are beautiful. Aside from the absolutely stunning buildings on the grounds, the gardens are oases of remarkable peace and serenity in the midst of a busy crowded city.
I’ve always loved the beautiful lotus flowers. They carry
thousands of years of meaning and symbolism, from culture to culture, from
faith to faith. They rise up from the muddiest of depths, pure and unsullied,
day after day. I’m told, though I didn’t stay long enough to see it, that the
lotus flower dips down into the water or mud every evening, only to rise again
in the morning, once again renewed, sparking clean and fresh. There is plenty
of powerful symbolism in that alone!
When photographing one of the blossoms, what really caught my eye was the lotus leaf next to it.
Somehow it invited my attention. I was drawn to it again and
again. It was single, not overly
stunning in beauty compared to the flower next to it, but I couldn’t help admire.
Beads of rain water collected on its surface, pooling in the center. A little drop here, a little drop there, all collected by the cupped outstretched hand of the lotus leaf.
I really liked that. It brought me somehow a spirit of peace and happiness.
I saw the outstretched hands of grateful people, receiving - and then dispensing to others - blessings throughout their lives.
Blessings are all around us. They may seem like little things at first, a little kindness from someone, a whiff of flowers on a nearby shrub,
the adorable cuteness of a little child following us or the sound of a harmonica being played somewhere in the garden. Blessings shared in the pigeons that held still, calm and unafraid, lining up on the bridge they had long ago claimed as their own. Gifts from the Giver of all good things.
D&C 88:33 – For what doth it
profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is
given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift.
What blessings, gifts, and joys are all around us, that we might be
missing? We can see the hand of the Lord
all around, and those little gifts pool deeply in our hearts as we collect
them, and then share them outwardly with others.
Our hearts are lifted. We walk in a spirit of daily gratitude. Sometimes it is easy to get too distracted with the busyness of life – with the noise and drama and work – the shuffling back and forth here and there – and one might miss the tender mercies of the Lord. But when we take time to look, to reach our hands outward and upward, we will find little beads of blessings collecting on the edges of our lives, being drawn inward into our hearts, and then outward as we share them with others.
Thank you - lotus leaf.
Henry David Thoreau – “An early
morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.”
Sister Coffey-- your lotus comments reminded me of some related content I had written relative to the symbolic meaning of the lotus in Asian life, and the potential Christian correlates. Indeed, all things bear witness of Him. (And it is not without significance that the lotus is the national symbol of Vietnam!) https://alongthehong.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-lotus-and-christmas-sacrament.html
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed these pictures. It is nice to see you enjoying the sweet calm there when the world is full of chaos. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your rich experiences with us. What a beautiful form of service - what a beautiful corner of His vineyard!
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