In May, when sea-winds pierced our solitudes,
I found the fresh Rhodora in the woods,
Spreading its leafless blooms in a damp nook,
To please the desert and the sluggish brook.
The purple petals, fallen in the pool,
Made the black water with their beauty gay;
Here might the red-bird come his plumes to cool,
And court the flower that cheapens his array.
Rhodora! if the sages ask thee why
This charm is wasted on the earth and sky,
Tell them, dear, that if eyes were made for seeing,
Then Beauty is its own excuse for being:
Why thou wert there, O rival of the rose!
I never thought to ask, I never knew:
But, in my simple ignorance, suppose
The self-same Power that brought me there brought you.
The Rhodora by Ralph Waldo Emerson
This is one of my all time favorite pieces of literature. Now, I know poetry isn’t for everyone. Granted… it isn’t for most people. But for those of us who can appreciate the craftsmanship in creating a work like this – this one is refreshing. I won’t bore you with the details of why… but I LOVE this poem.
Ask anyone who knows me and they’ll tell you – I’m not a nature girl. Not by a long shot. I’m a city girl to the heart. But still, nature stops me in my tracks when I think about my Creator.
The Lord merely spoke,
and the heavens were created.
He breathed the word,
and all the stars were born. – Psalm 33: 6
But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever;
his intentions can never be shaken. – Psalm 33: 11
Here’s a challenge: Make an extra effort this week to be aware of the little reminders of God’s presence in our world. Whether it’s taking time to connect with the people who cross your path each day, or stopping to notice the sky He paints, or the flower He fashioned, or the landscape He carved with His hands.
I’m taking this challenge to heart. Join me?
