I didn't think they would come up. I had planted them late in the season AND I had taken away the soft mulch that usually covered them. Not only did they have the disadvantage of my tardiness, but now they also had to push through the rough, heavy, rock I had placed over them.
In short, my tulips were doomed.
But, despite my worst efforts, here they are getting ready to open and bloom!
I absolutely cannot wait to see the beauty.
It makes me think of us and this time and everything that is going on in our world. Creation always has a way of showing us the truths we find in God. I'm so thankful for that.
It's such a simple story, but for the tulip to show its glory, a seed (bulb) must be buried in the ground and die. Out of that death, new life is born. The flower must then push its stem through the soil, break the earth's surface (and rocks in my case) to reach the world. Only then can we see and watch it grow in size and beauty.
Such a beautiful story of death, burial, and resurrection.
I cannot think of anything more relevant than the story of resurrection. There is no greater truth we can cling to right now.
In this season we are experiencing part of us, our familiar way of living has died. It has not been fun – dying never is – but death is always necessary before new life can emerge. We've also had to push through some rough places. Moments that have felt like rocks weighing heavy all around us. Some of these rough places have yet but certainly will appear to test us further.
But, if we follow the pattern the striving will be worth it all for we know that beauty will emerge. It will be even more sacred because of the hard place that it came from.