Why Easter Lilies Symbolize New Beginnings

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Hello again my beloveds! It’s been a minute, but here we are. I don’t know where the time is going! I just can’t seem to wrap my brain around blogging lately. There has been plenty of opportunity, but very little motivation. Maybe it’s the weather. It’s raining — again. This spring has been very, very wet. The ground is wet, the firewood is wet, my bunnies are damp, and no one is happy. Although a few things have been slowly moving forward… we have fence posts in for the new baby goats! And spring day old chicks come tomorrow! So, despite not being able to do much around because everything is soaking… time continues to move on. I suppose it is one thing we simply cannot stop: Time. Even in the rain.

I wanna go back in time for a minute. A few weeks ago, we celebrated one of, if not the most significant events in history. Easter. It was an unusual Easter weekend for us… kinda busy with a lot of travelling to see family (which are further away now), but nonetheless wonderful. Easter, of course, is when we commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus. A poignant celebration in Christian faith. We’re still getting used to our bigger church and a larger church family, so it wasn’t as “intimate” as I’m used to, but worthy of mentioning. Chocolate treats and fancy meals with family notwithstanding.

Easter and Lilies

Yet, we must circle back to our little plant theme we’re currently following, and chat about Easter lilies. Our sanctuary was decorated with them, and we used to have many in the city. So, how did the lily get associated with Easter? I didn’t know. So, like all good bloggers, I googled it. Google tells me the trumpet shaped, white flower has been traditionally associated with purity, rebirth and new beginnings. The shape reminds us of a trumpet… announcing the resurrection of Christ and His return. Obviously, new beginnings are what spring is all about… so it makes sense. A pure white flower. Okay, I get it.

Honestly though, I am not a fan of Easter lilies. I do not like their very pungent fragrance, they are extremely toxic to pets, and are messy…dropping pollen everywhere. Plus, they remind me of death. I don’t know why, but they seem to be in every funeral bouquet. I suppose it has something to do with that hope reborn association. Sorry to those of you who love ’em — just not for me. Any lily, in fact. Crazy tiger lilies in my garden… you can’t kill those invasive things! Please do not bring me any for mother’s day!

I suppose I shouldn’t be so harsh to a flower that the Bible mentions as beautiful (Luke 12) and is a symbol for purity. Solomon, in all his finest, never looked as good as the humble, white flower, they say. I suppose it is pretty enough. More partial to the rose, myself. I knew a lady who loved the lilies and all the mismatching and hybrids and colour varieties. She ordered bulbs on a regular basis for her garden. I have a few daylilies that are okay hanging out in mine, but the lily is not one I’d pick to plant.

However, I did find one tidbit of info interesting. The life cycle of an Easter lily begins with the bulb growing underground for several years before sprouting its long stalk and white flower. A perfect example of death and resurrection… buried under ground and rebirth. That is worth celebrating. That can bring meaning to spring. Especially right now for us, after a brutally long winter and a very rainy spring. I am ready for some new life again. I am ready for a new awakening in the soil and the garden sprouting. I’m excited for the new babies coming and the joy new life brings. That, my friends, is even worth a stinky flower. I hope you feel a rebirth in your souls this week, my beloveds! Until we “meet” again.

The Significance of Fig Trees and a little Spiritual Growth

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Oh, Friends! Dear, dear friends. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears! That’s Shakespeare isn’t it? Wow, high school memory flooding back… where did that come from? Anyway, the point is, friends, we are back after a very long two week or so break. And I have no excuse for it. Well, I have an explanation, but it’s not a real excuse. Truth is, the last two weeks have been really crazy and weird at our house, and there simply wasn’t the time, motivation, opportunity, or the well-with-all to sit down for the few hours it takes to write. And I really don’t know where the time went. Work hours were odd, the family was here and there, the nights were spent doing other things… and well, here we are two weeks later! Yet, here we are. And so, I greet you again, as friends who give me a little writing grace now and then.

So. We had started our little “theme” with some plants and I’m back with another one. For some reason, the humble fig tree has been on my mind. I don’t think I have ever seen a fig tree in real life. Certainly not with figs growing on it. Wikipedia tells me it’s tropical, so likely why I’ve never seen one here in Canada. The snow here has FINALLY begun to melt and now we are in the throws of spring thaw… and flooding. Fig trees likely wouldn’t do very well in our yard… I hear they like dry soils. Therefore, I shall buy my dried figs at the supermarket. Dried because I don’t think I’ve ever had a fresh fig either.

Do you like figs? Apparently they are good for you: Raw figs are 79% water, 19% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and contain negligible fat. What’s the difference between a raw fig and a dried fig? Does raw mean fresh? What’s in a in a “fig newton” (gee, another blast from the past… do they still make fig newtons?). Or in shampoo? I think there’s figs in soap? Perhaps this is why fig trees were on my mind. They are interesting creatures. Slightly exotic, slightly humble, all ancient toga party. On the snack table of Queen Esther. Or at least in her soap.

Specifically though, I was thinking about when Jesus cursed the fig tree in Mark 11. It happened during Holy Week near Jerusalem… Jesus was hungry, notices a seemingly lush fig tree, discovers no actual figs, only leaves, and then curses it to never bear fruit again. Seems harsh, but here’s the lesson: Symbolically, we could say that Jesus was saying “You’ve put all kinds of energy into productivity, but you aren’t producing real fruit; the church is active… but useless.” Ouch. Two weeks of time, not one post. People are spiritually hungry and we do lots of community events, but are we feeding them what they need? Has the church done enough, have I, as a child of God, done enough? Have you? Remember, this is mitton musings.… I just think about things. I don’t judge, nor do I have all the answers. I simply present “food for thought”.

Yes, apparently they still make Fig Newton Cookies…now with other fruit flavours.

Which also had me thinking about the whole idea of cursing some poor tree. Cursing in general. The spiritual battle is real. I don’t want to say these last few weeks have been “cursed”, but certainly they have been oppressive. Another interesting fig tree fact? Fig tree sap/leaves contain a substance called Furocoumarins (5-methoxypsoralen), an enzyme that when exposed to UV rays, can cause skin irritation. Can we say that when spiritual opposition comes into the light… we get irritated? I dunno, that may be a stretch. Let’s just go back to saying Jesus wants us to bear fruit, not just be productive.

So. There ya have it. Fig tree. A Muse. I’ve posted. Short, but to the point I think. And I hope it gave you real food for thought, and not just another post to read. I’ll be back. Hopefully sooner this time. Enjoy your Holy week. Perhaps have some figs. Blessings.

Discovering Hyssop: A Versatile Herb for Spring Cleaning (and the first plant in our mini-series!)

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Well. It happened. I didn’t think it would ever happen, but it did. It happened quickly and was painless. It was sooner than expected, based on what seemed to be happening, but then… all of a sudden… we have spring! Somehow, out of no where, came a warm front and a few rain showers: and our snow has finally melted! Well, most of it has melted, anyway. You can smell it in the air, you can feel the above zero temperatures, you can just sense the world awakening again, and you can see green! The girls have flown the coop and are out digging up the ground again. Life seems good. Except.

The current state of the barn… 5 inches deep in water!

Except, that all the snow melting has created a lot of water. A lot. Our fields are mostly squishy, spongy grass and mini lakes. Where there isn’t a lake, there is still a pile of snow. The sump pump has been working non-stop, so our basement is (thankfully) dry. The barn, however, is a completely different story. It is a mess. For some reason, the drains are still frozen underground and there is about 5 inches of water everywhere. We’ve tried shop vacuuming, we tried pumping it out, but because of the slopes to the drains, those lakes keep pooling back in. It is just “yuck”. Chicken and rabbit mess is softening into a sludge and everything is wet. Soaked, in fact. We will have to assess real damage when things get dried out a bit. My poor bunnies are propped up on a pallet and out of the water, but I can’t let them free roam until things dry out a bit. I am sure they are miserable, but I don’t know what else to do. Time should help… but it is supposed to be raining all day today and into the night, and then cold again?! So who knows. Yes, spring is here, but so is all that spring brings.

So. That was a very long introduction to my next thoughts: because it is finally spring, and traditionally we do a little theme for blog-a-versary, (which I didn’t do yet) I’ve decided let’s do it. And, because it is spring and it has been a very long winter, I’ve decided to bring some colour, and brightness and new life into this little theme for us for the next few weeks… drumroll… let’s focus on flowers!! Sound good? Great. I’m on it. And for some reason, my first plant I wanna learn about is hyssop.

I know nothing about hyssop. It’s in the Bible. The rest I had to look up. Therefore, according to the great inter web…Hyssop is a very versatile herb, often used in Mediterranean dishes and traditionally known for “purification”. Apparently, the oils are often used to help respiratory issues. My chickens and bunnies may need it after all this water and dampness. I’m praying they don’t catch colds.

Hyssop is pretty, actually. They say it is in the mint family. A tiny blue-purple flower, in a spiky little bush… typical “herb”. Probably spreads like crazy given the right space. Oh… it says the flowers can be red, pink or white too. Nice. I’m not sure why this one was my first choice in our little series… maybe it’s a God thing that I won’t know about until it gets shared with me, but hyssop it is.

So, let’s look at it’s biblical references, shall we? Apparently the “hyssop” as described in ancient times is not the common herb found in the middle east today. It was likely a different aromatic herb like oregano or capers. Still, shrubby fragrant plant with healing properties… Sniff ’em all for good measure. Traditionally “cleanse me with hyssop” is a phrase you’ll see in Biblical references. Those antiseptic properties maybe, but sources say it was more “figurative” than literal cleansing. I suppose only because it was chosen as the instrument for marking doors at Passover, and it was the type of stick on which the sponge of liquid was given to Jesus on the cross…. so it all got associated through time as representing “cleansing of sins” (which of course no plant can do on it’s own). But there ya have it.

Hyssop was likely a good one to start with considering the state of my property. There is plenty of water, but not much of it is good for “cleansing”. It’s muddy, defiled and stagnant. Spring reminds us of new life and new beginning, but it’s only once all that snow, muck and mess is purified. Cleansed, if you will. I’m looking forward to getting the power washer out and hosing down a few things so my bunnies can get back to running around, and the grass actually looks green again and fresh. The snow melt has unearthed some unpleasant surprises, and I am ready for the clean up. Perhaps hyssop should be in the repertoire. What should we look up next, friends? Drop me a comment!