13. Day-by-Day Praise

ii. In the Garden - the Orchid

The orchid is nearly finished now.

I didn't pick the blooms from this last one;

We just let the flowers stay on to be enjoyed.

Then we'll put the plant away in a quiet corner,

Feed it, water it and wait until next year.

Every Spring they come out, regular as clockwork.

We miss the symbolism down here in the Southern Hemisphere.

Our northern friends see it all at Easter.

Green, and colour - after the long dark winter,

Daffodils complementing bright faces in

pretty dresses as days lengthen and lighten.

You arose in the Spring, Lord.

And brought the colour and joy back to our faces.1

Gone was the long night, for you conquered

even death, as you sprang up from the ground.2

My orchid is tipped with a blood red edge,

And it's alive, head high and beautiful.

I need to be touched with your life, Lord.3

To be alive, lifted high,

The ugly, even me, made beautiful.

1. Matthew 28: 8

2. 1 Corinthians 15: 54

3. Romans 5: 9

I guess I'm about a B grade gardener - probably B minus! My wife and I live in suburban Melbourne on a suburban block - a little less than one fifth of an acre. We have a small swimming pool in the back yard surrounded by a patio, and another patio/courtyard at the side. Our climate is great for outdoor living, and we have a lot of meals outside from late Spring through into the Autumn. With the two patios, I have developed a technique of using pot plants and window boxes, and of moving them around so that those with colour are on view. We also have a hot dry summer climate so that watering is critical. Each pot is plumbed in to the sprinkler system with its own dripper and contains slow-release fertiliser granules to prevent washout of key nutrients. Computerised control ensures regular and efficient watering even if I am out of town. So we have colour all year.

In the early Spring, the orchids are my favourite. They're actually easy to grow, and like being in tight pots. I add "orchid food" three of four times a year, ensure they don't dry out, and repot them every 3 - 4 years. That's about all there is to it. I usually have a good show. 1998 was particularly good. In August, we had 30 simultaneous blooming spikes on just three plants.

The prayer above was written in September 1988 - Springtime. The orchid flower was a particularly beautiful pale wine-pink with a deep crimson edge, and it stood high above the pot with a fresh strength of Spring.

I have included this prayer here, although it doesn't include a response, to illustrate how the symbolism of Spring energised my thoughts and brought new meaning to the colours. Although I live in the Southern Hemisphere, I have spent over 10 years in USA, Scotland, and England. Here in Melbourne, in southern Australia, Easter is the functional end of Summer. Everyone is madly trying to get away for a last holiday break at the beach - or just anywhere before the cooler weather comes in May. When I was in the Northern hemisphere, it was different, and the symbolism hit me - especially in England. Not only were there new colours of flowers and Spring clothing, but the warming and brighter weather seemed to bring out the smiles after a long and often dark winter.

Perhaps folk in the Northern Hemisphere are taught all about this, but the symbolism of Easter in the Spring was very visible. We exchanged Easter eggs. We do that in the South too, but miss the symbolism of new life.

So here in my garden was a tall fresh orchid, with a blood-red edge. It wasn 't Easter, but it was Spring, and I remembered the Northern symbolism. "You arose in the Spring, Lord, and brought the colour and joy back to our faces." Then the blood-red edge, and the reminder of how I need to be touched with Our Lord so that the scales are taken from my eyes and I can see him as he is.

This prayer is an example of how one can see pictures of praise, and lessons of faith in the world around us. We just need to open our eyes - prayerfully - and respond to the inner leading of the Spirit.

Copyright Howard Smith 2002. All Rights reserved.

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