The Flower Fadeth…

My favorite flower is the hibiscus. I have had a few over the years, and they always put on such a beautiful display of blooms all summer long! For the last couple of years, I have had a tropical hibiscus tree with red blooms. I brought it in during the winter and attempted to keep it alive, but this last year it just didn’t survive. For Mother’s Day, Marc took me to the local nursery where we purchased two hardy hibiscus bushes and one tropical one for the patio. This will be my first time planting a hardy hibiscus, so I’m hoping that they will thrive in the planting bed in our backyard and I can enjoy them for years to come. The tropical hibiscus is called “Fiesta” and has already been putting on quite the show with these amazing blooms.

One of the things I find most interesting about the hibiscus is the blooms only last one day. They open up as the sun rises in the sky, show off their beauty all day long, and then close up as the sun sets. I’ve heard some are trying to breed varieties that last longer, but typically one day is the length of their fantastic blooms. 

“Hibiscus flowers are like the sun’s best friends. They open up wide during the day to catch all the sunlight. When night falls, they think it’s bedtime and close up. This is because of their flower circadian rhythm. It’s like an internal clock that tells them when to wake up and when to sleep. The hibiscus bloom mechanism involves changes in light and temperature that signal the flower to open or close. Each petal moves in response, kind of like how we stretch our arms when waking up.”

www.thegardengeeks.com

The last couple weeks since I have a slower schedule, I’ve taken my quiet time outside on the patio at sunrise. I’ve enjoyed reading my Bible and studying in the morning light, with birds singing, and a spectacular view of God’s creation. I have been reminded to be thankful for the beauty He has given us to enjoy – green grass, trees, flowers, and even the pesky rabbits that sometimes snack on my plants. It has been a sweet time of fellowship with the LORD.

As I watch those hibiscus blooms open up each day (some times as many as five, other times only one), I think about how much work and energy goes into making that bloom for only one day of beauty. 

The bloom that fades all too quickly reminds me of this verse in Isaiah 40:8, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”

We see similar verses in I Peter chapter 1. Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was writing to encourage the Christians who were facing severe persecution. He did this by reminding them of their eternal inheritance and trying to to turn their attention on the hope they had in Jesus Christ. 

He says in verse 23 – 25: 

23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

In James, we are reminded that we have no guarantee of tomorrow. Our time on this earth is short. He says in chapter 4:

13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Let’s consider that hibiscus bloom again for a moment. It has one day–one opportunity–to show its beauty. One opportunity to demonstrate its determination and resilience. One opportunity to inspire happiness and wonder. One opportunity to cause the beholder to awe over its Creator. 

Just like that bloom, we’ve been given one life–one opportunity–to make known our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. One opportunity to show others the beauty and blessing of salvation. One opportunity to demonstrate the love of Jesus to those around us. One opportunity to testify of His goodness, mercy, and grace regardless of our earthly circumstances. One opportunity to glorify and praise Him. 

There will come a day for each of us when our life here is ended, and our opportunity will come to a close. If we’ve accepted Christ as our Savior, we know we will be in heaven with our LORD and Savior in that same moment. Praise His name!

But I must ask myself in the meantime…

What am I doing with that opportunity?