February 2007
Go, my blue beauties, bring sweet sentiments of
daydreamings and endless clock-watchings;
Bend all your splendor to serve me, a creature,
and lend me your voice for a while:
“The heavens declare the [bright] glory of God,”
as well as each tender blue petal:
But once, just this once, will you add to your tune?
Will you sing for my sweet, make her smile?
But Strong! Be thou strong! And prepare to be humbled:
Her glory’s much brighter than yours:
For you bear His mark as the work of His hand, but it’s
She that’s been made to be like Him!
…No? Will you not? Not sing of creation?
Alas, what a fool I have been!
Your splendor displays Him, and so does your song:
Go, then. Greater Joy you must bring…
So hear now, my sweet, what these blossoms are singing,
and let their song echo within:
“Your Maker, your King, the Lord of Creation,
it’s He who now sends us to you:
He made, and rules over, each moment you breathe,
and He finds you more precious than we are.
Though others will fail you or tempt you away,
faithfully yours He remains.
Now, join us! Sing loudly! Your suitor as well!
‘Jesus: Lord, Saviour, and Treasure!’”
I’m no poet, I know. But the other day I was thinking about why we send flowers, and what we mean to express by them, and where the flowers really do come from and what they really are meant to express. A man picks a bouquet and hands them to his favorite one: “Look, my Dear! Look at this gift I’ve given you!” “Oh, how lovely they are! Thank you!” The man stands up-chested and proud that he’s joyed his beloved with such beauty–borrowed though it may be. I’m not so obtuse or so immature to think sending flowers is “wrong” or something — please don’t misunderstand. It’s good to send flowers — especially to one’s “favorite.” God’s gifts to us are meant to be appreciated and shared with one another. It’s as the poem says, “I could not love you if I did not love Him, and I could not love Him if I did not love you.” Godly man-woman love is pleasing to the Lord — it’s His design. That’s not my point.
I just wonder how often we hear the twofold love-song those flowers sing, when we do send (or receive) them? After all, don’t we read that, in effect, all the passions and jealousies and joys and forgivings and repentings and desperation and restorations and comforts and longings inherent in man-woman relationships are meant to be an object lesson for our relationship with “our husband, our Maker”? There are other reasons for God to have made man “male and female” instead of mere asexual self-replicating “humans”, I’m sure (as the angels are, and as we shall one day become) — but surely the romantic aspects we experience with one another, all the good and bad, are to point us to him? (Eph. 5:22-33) Few things in this earthly life are so powerful, I would dare say, as love for our beloved. And few things are more powerful in (or, toward) all creation, I would again dare say, than God’s love for us — “For he did not spare his one and only Son…”
So, next time you send or receive flowers, listen for the two-fold song of adoration…
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Full disclosure: Yes, it’s true. I’ve been seeing Megan for a few months now. (Even asked for her dad’s permission first.) Unexpected, joyous, frustrating, hopeful, confusing…all the things human relationships are.
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2 responses so far ↓
1 beth // Mar 26, 2007 at 6:48 pm
hello aron, this is beth marquez. just wondering how you were and what you were up to. still in jeresy huh? well it sounds like you are doing great, i’m so glad to see that. be blessed my friend.
talk to you soon
beth
2 Paul Brown // Mar 28, 2007 at 7:31 am
I’m excited for you.
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