John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though they die.

Gratitude Day 772

It was early morning. Light was just beginning to creep around the edges of night. Standing by the kitchen window filling the coffee pot for today’s brew, I saw their beautiful pink edges shine through the early light of the day.

The resurrection lilies were blooming.

These flowers are so amazing. One of the first flowers to produce green leaves in early spring, their lush rounded leaves only last for a while. And then, they are gone. The plants are not really gone. They are just gone from our sight.

Months later, amazingly these pretty pink lilies literally sprout overnight, shine their glory for a few days and disappear once again.

While I call them resurrection lilies, they have various names. Naked ladies, surprise lilies, and magic lily are a few options. Yes, naked ladies because when the flowers finally bloom, there are absolutely no leaves on the stems. Just the pretty pink-purple flowers on the very end of the stem.

Whatever you call them, they are a unique and amazing little flower. I like to call them “resurrection lilies” because the plant leaves must die before the flowers can bloom. And just about the time you think the flowers have forgotten to grace our presence, they suddenly appear.

It happened again this year. One night, Hubby Rick and I were out walking. We saw some Resurrection lilies strutting their stuff in a neighbor’s flower bed. “Don’t we have some of those flowers?” Rick asked. “Why aren’t they blooming?”

Just a day or two later, they were. Literally, it was like they appeared overnight.

Each year when those lilies appear, I feel this sense of needing to take a deeper breath in the morning when I see them outside the kitchen window. For me, they are a wonderful symbol of new life, hope, a surprise gift that arrives unannounced and unplanned but greatly and deeply appreciated.

New life. Hope. Something that speaks to your heart. Not sure about you, but oh! I need these. Like, Every. Single. Day.

Here in Wisconsin, the days are getting shorter. There is often a crispness in the air after the sun is down or before it shows it’s face in the early morning. Schedules are shifting from “summer” to “fall.” Sometimes, this is good. Other times, people (like Hubby Rick) begin to bemoan the end of long and warm summer days.

In every season, I think it is so important to find moments where we can find new life. Hope. Something that allows our hearts to feel full no matter what is going on in our lives. What is filling your heart lately? Where are you finding new life? Beyond the resurrection lilies, here are a few things that have brought me hope and new life lately.

Short and quick get-aways.

It just has not worked out for Hubby Rick and me to have a real vacation this summer. Maybe poor planning on our part or just a variety of other options. Nonetheless, I had two 24-hour get-aways with friends. Once, just another friend and I. The second, with two friends. Both times, they were literally 24-hours long. But absolutely wonderful.

Both times, there were no expectations for the time together. We ate, drank coffee, visited, walked, read, whatever felt right in the moment. And it WAS WONDERFUL.

Hubby Rick and I had like a 48-hour get away this summer. Again, short, quick but so important.

Maybe we will get in a fall vacation this year. We have done this previously. But for now, even if a full-fledge get away is not possible or what you want, create space to restore your soul every now and then. Time with a friend. Quiet time by yourself. Doing something that brings hope and life for you TODAY. It can be easy to say there is not time for these things. But why isn’t there? Are we so busy creating a life that we forget to live our lives? I pray that you find space every week to say, “This gave me new life today.” Please.

A consistent morning time.

This is truly a lifeline for me. Five or six mornings a week, I make sure I take time to reflect, read scripture, read and write out a prayer. Some days, it is 15 minutes long. Other days, I make this longer. It centers me. Allows me to off load things that are clouding my thinking and refocus my life with God. This time creates space just for me. I do this at the very beginning of my day, as soon as the coffee is brewed. Before anything else gets rolling. On those days when I have early commitments, I just get up a little earlier. You do you. But find time and space to recenter yourself with God if only for a few minutes. Create a routine that works for you. I am a better person throughout the day when I do this. Seriously.

Fresh veggies.

Maybe this sounds weird, but it’s true. We have cucumbers and peppers and tomatoes in our garden right now. My friend dropped off some veggies as well. I should be canning but I haven’t. Yet. So, we are eating them like crazy. Every. Single. Meal that we are home.

One of my love languages? A really good salad, preferably created by someone else. I’m not quite sure why, but any salad made by someone else is always better than the one I made. Anyone else feel this way? I eat salad every day. Hubby Rick has become a master salad maker in retirement, and he creates these wonderful salads for us to eat. He makes a deposit in my love bank every time he makes a salad for me to take to work. (Earlier this week, the salad even had a couple dressing packet options sitting on top of it in the fridge. How sweet is this??)

While summer is here, please eat every fresh veggie and fruit you can get your hands on and in your mouth. Right now, we have cantaloupe in the fridge and peaches on the counter. I make a smoothie almost every day with whatever fresh fruit needs to be used up. It’s a wonderful meal in the morning, an afternoon snack or a treat before bed. And every time I take a sip, I feel my blood pressure go down and the endorphins go up. This, my friends, is a form of new life and my body loves it.

Again, what is giving you new life these days? Please do not expect it to be something big and outrageous. Look for it in the simple. The easy. The wonderful moments in your day and week that allow your mind and body to say, “This is so good.”

We need these moments. These opportunities. These little respites that remind us that living today is super important. Yes, creating tomorrow is wonderful but only when we go into the day knowing that today, we relished today.

For the opportunities to find new life every day in the ordinary and simple things of life, I am very grateful.

Blessings –

Dianne

Most Loving God – Thank you for sending Jesus as the true resurrection and life. His life, death and resurrections commands us to find new life as well. May we see each and every day as an opportunity for a little resurrection, a little opportunity to capture all the best life can offer us. May we celebrate the little moments of new life that can fill our hearts and souls daily and weekly. Amen.

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