“They’re just flowers.” I thought, as I made my way inside the house after finding out my calla lilies had been trimmed by a family member during a yard work day. Not just the dead calla lilies, but all of them, leaving only the green leaves of the bush.
The greatest disappointment about the trimming came because the bush hadn’t produced many blossoms during the first two springs we lived in the house, but this spring it was like I couldn’t stop them from giving lilies that were so perfectly beautiful.
“I’m sure there will be more next spring.” I told the family member and myself, still not convinced it really was okay, but wanting them to know it wasn’t worth being upset about. I tried to move on throughout the day, but the calla lily bush was in a direct line of sight from the window above my kitchen sink. A constant reminder of my lily loss.
“God,” I prayed nonchalantly and half-heartedly, glancing again at the calla lily bush while finishing after-dinner dishes. “Would you give me just one more calla lily? Just one?”
A few days later as I again stood over the kitchen sink, I glanced up at the lopped off calla lily bush, the leaves still looking vibrantly green and crisp in spite of it having no blossoms to speak of. As I continued to observe the bush, I noticed a slight white tip peeking out of the center of the bush.
“No Way!” I thought. “Is that what I think it is? It can’t be!” I knew exactly what it was. It was a calla lily blossom! Not two or three blossoms peeking out through the green leaves, but only one in the exact center of the bush. I couldn’t believe it! I hadn’t expected God to answer a half-hearted, simplistic prayer about the loss of flowers, nor was He under any obligation to answer, but He did!
What was God up to? Why would He answer my prayer about something so insignificant, yet seem so quiet about answering my prayers about my caregiving role, and now social isolation and Covid 19? I have no answer for this, but maybe I needed to be reminded He is a God who isn’t just about answering the large prayers I pray, but He’s a God who loves so deeply and desperately, He’s willing to show who He is through a flower; a single calla lily.
The words of Jesus in Luke 12:27-28 say it so beautifully: “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?”
The whole calla lily saga was never about the lily. It was about God was wanting to restore my ‘little faith’ in all things, no matter the size, by answering a simple half-hearted prayer. He wanted to remind me how much He deeply loves me; how He wonderfully cares about me and wonderfully cares about you.
As I glance out my kitchen window today and see the calla lily still standing in its white beauty, I’m reminded about how deeply and wonderfully He cares. I have been so blessed to have such an amazing view of the growth, of not only the calla lily, but of my faith as well.
I rinse the soap suds out of the kitchen sink feeling a little sad because I know the calla lily won’t remain forever. I smile to myself and decide I might just have to start rewording my prayers from now on, no matter the size or perceived importance of my request.
“I guess there’s no better time to start than right now,” I quietly say to myself. And so I begin. “God, have you seen the lilies and how they grow?”
God is so good! He hears the deepest and the simplest cries of our hearts. He understood that it wasn’t just about the Calle lily but about just one more thing in your life that saddened you, that diminished your joy, like the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. When we see Him care about the small things in our lives we realize He cares about everything in our lives. I know that we both know this but when things are hard we tend to forget how much He loves us. Thank you for reminding us of this. It’s testimonies like this one that brings us hope in difficult times. Thank you Lord for Sheryl, for the Calle lily, for your immeasurable love for us.
What a sweet story to share. I see so many miracles He provides even though I didn’t pray for them. I hope to start thanking God out loud for them so He’ll know I’m tuned in! Thank you Sheryl for sharing. 🥰🙏😷
Lovely. . . our Father, God is knows before we even asks—He enjoys bringing us joy.
You’ll remember that one calla Lilly more than the bunch that were cut down in their prime. You didn’t ask God for the bunch, just for the one. What a beautiful Saviour we have that He would answer that simple prayer! He’s always at work, especially in our caregiving, right beside us, giving value to our mundane tasks. He’s asking us to make a Calla Lilly, just one. It’s the person under our care.
You are a wonderful writer, Sheryl. Keep it up! That flower is symbolic on so many levels. And give my love to that “family member” (cough) that hacked off your calla lilies. Did it also involve a battery-powered tool of some kind with a turbo-power button? 😉
There is so much I could say about the isolation that came with COVID 19. This was not from God and the lockdowns were likewise from the enemy (I refuse to capitalize any reference to the guy with an L on his forehead). Yes, they were wrapped in a veil of “for your own good” but this is almost always the case with the enemy. He always enters the room as “the voice of reason” while God is positioned as being outrageous.
As we now know in hindsight, isolation took a bad situation, made it worse, and did nothing to “flatten the curve”. And looking at the way churches were singled out as “non-essential” we must ensure this never, ever happens again. Assembling together is not an option. If you are sick, stay home. If you are not, assemble.