This past weekend, I found some beautiful ‘blues’ to celebrate; carpets of blue wildflowers covered nearby fields, and the bluest rivers of water, sparkled in the sun. What is it about blue flowers that seems so magical? I only know that they entice my heart in the most captivating way. And why is it that just gazing at the water brings us so much peace?
With the world in such a sad state of affairs, longing for peace is a natural thing. We wish to make things right again, to restore a peaceful order, to stop the heartbreaking terror.
Blue is a serene color, the color of the sky and sea. It commands our attention and allows us to believe that anything is possible. We think of terms like, ‘the wide-open sea’, ‘endless blue sky’, and ‘the sky’s the limit’. Perhaps, when we feel helpless to change a given situation, we like to ponder the mysteries of all that endless blue.
By the same token, perilous times can make us ‘blue’ as well. We feel helpless to fix the plight of suffering souls. And so, we suffer as well, longing to fix the catastrophe, longing for a miracle.
God hears our prayers and is already there ahead of us. Where we see only cloud cover, He sees the sun breaking through. Our God is a God who is steadfast in love, a God of mercy, and a God of peace. His love shatters the illusions of this world. His Word stands forever. His promises are promises we can trust.
In the midst of all this chaos, God is working out a plan for His people. As scripture tells us, ‘His thoughts are above our thoughts, and His ways above our ways.’ (Isaiah 55: 8,9) We need only trust. We need only believe.
God does send us signs, and He invites us to be part of the plan. How do we do our part? We keep our hearts and minds open. We read God’s word and we pray for discernment. We do what we can to help others.
Signs of God’s love in any given situation are not hard to find. We see His people carrying out great acts of love in big and small ways. We see His mighty hand wherever we look, curing the ills of this world as only He can.
I think of that field of blue wildflowers, little forget-me-nots of God’s unfailing love and mercy. You or I might have to look hard to find one of those miniature blue flowers if it were set apart, all alone. God knows where each and every one is situated. He knows all about every field, every river, every flower, because He is the One who created them.
We are each like one of those wildflowers that God has not forgotten. Each one is precious. Each one is a miracle unto itself. God has told us that there will be ‘wars and rumors of wars.’ (Matthew 24:6) Sadly, there has always been wars upon the earth, and turmoil and fighting even in families. In the midst of all of this, we are to trust God. We are to create as much peace as we can in our own ‘patch of blue’. We are to do all that we can to help our neighbors whether near or far away.
And we must remember that collectively God’s people are strong in numbers. We are asked to pray for one another, to uplift one another, to love one another as ourselves. Suddenly, our ‘patch of blue’ makes an incredible difference in the world. There may be bare patches, like a quilt with some torn pieces, but overall, the quilt does a spectacular job. The quilt is a masterpiece, and every scrap of love matters.
In these days and hours, we must pull our scraps of love together. We must bind our hearts together in prayer. Miracles do unfold, and they begin with love, extraordinary love, love without end.
Yes, the rivers of blue on this earth are lovely. The wildflowers grow rampant as they serenade the world with beauty. The weeds seem to pale in comparison! How blessed we are to live in such a beautiful world where cathedrals rise up everywhere around us, all places meant for us to pray and offer our thanks to God, our Heavenly Father.
May we remember the little forget me not that grows upon the fields, on a canvas of spring green. God carries each one of us, His perfect flowers, within His heart. That heart is so expansive that an endless sea of blue emerges, a beautiful sea of divine love. So, when we feel alone or helpless, when the weight of the world seems so crushing, we remember that we are never actually alone, never forgotten.
There are many beautiful legends that surround the forget me not flower. (I encourage you to read up on the folklore surrounding these little blue treasures.) More important than legends, it is enough for us to know that our God is ‘true blue’. We bloom beautifully under His care, and there is no place in the garden where He is neglectful. His blooms are scattered around the world, and He loves them all. There is poetry in God’s garden here upon the earth. Yes, there are weeds and pestilence, but there is also hope because the Master Gardener of heaven and earth has great plans for all of His beloved children.
Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart.”
We pray for the people of Ukraine, and for all those that suffer in this time of war. We pray for the two million Ukrainian refugees that have been forced to leave their country. We pray for those that have been left behind. We pray for peace and for this war to end. We are humbled by the strength of the Ukrainian people. They are beautiful souls who deserve the respect of the entire world.
It’s quite a picture of spring Linda. It includes what is leftover of fall before winter. The smallest blooms are encouraging. The green grass is encouraging. We do live in a stormy world full of carnage. I find myself looking for beauty, getting alone, getting settled and praying more these days
It does feel like a wilderness of sorts. The picture does have the remnants of fall…all those leaves! I too, am trying to get settled amidst all that is unsettling. There is the desire to turn the page, start again.
Forget-me-nots always remind me of my mother. She loved them.
They are beautiful! Your mother had very good taste! 🙂
Yes, she did. Lily-of-the-valley was her other favorite.
Lily-of-the-valley was one of my mother’s favorites also. 🙂
🙂
The steadfast love of God appears if we will have eyes to see it. I’m eagerly watching for the crocus to show up outside the living room window.
There is nothing quite like watching for the first signs of spring. We do wait for those signs. Like so many things in life, we must be patient. 🙂
a special message with the most stunning photos Linda 🙂
What do you think of my sunflower photos? Sunflowers are so very awesome…so many seeds of hope! 🙂
well I totally love them of course … always nice to see my cousins being promoted 😉
🙂 🙂 🙂
Your sunflowers are gorgeous, Linda. One of my daughters had a great season of them last year but sadly, none of the seeds from those plants yielded good growth on subsequent tries. So, I will be content to feast on yours.
Sunflowers do inspire so much joy! 🙂
Beautiful post and photos, Linda. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the heartbreaking news and even feel guilty when we are surrounded by beauty while so many are suffering. But we can also use this time of beauty, peace and quiet moments to get alone with God and pray. His people all over the world are crying out to him for an end to this war. May it be so. Lord, hear our prayers!
Nancy, you have described how so many of us feel at this moment in time. There is ‘weight’ in so many people praying. As you have said, people are praying all around the world. It is a beautiful thing.
Linda, I love the picture you paint with the words, “In these days and hours, we must pull our scraps of love together. We must bind our hearts together in prayer. Miracles do unfold, and they begin with love, extraordinary love, love without end.” I can picture the quilt this creates. A quilt of prayer and love the Lord uses to cover our brothers and sisters in the Ukraine.
I love that last line of your comment…that this quilt will be like a blanket to cover our brothers and sisters in the Ukraine. They are not alone. It is so very hard to understand all of this…so much suffering, so much pain. I trust God’s mercy and endless love. Psalm 46:1: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” He goes before us always and makes a way in the wilderness. (Isaiah 43:19)
So many things to love in this post. That verse from Isaiah has sobered me, given me hope and strength a number of times, reminding me that if I can just trust God, it will all work out eventually in His time. I too have a bit of blue here to remind me of all that matters: the morning skies when they are not fleeced over by clouds and our blue-caped kingfishers, whose calls have been particularly noticeable in recent days. May my scraps of gratitude for this and more be my prayer for Ukraine to be blessed with peace once more.
As we unite in prayer, God gathers up all the ‘scraps’. Nothing is wasted. He pieces everything together to make something new. Your blue-caped kingfishers sound lovely. The birds do teach us so much about life…They belt out their songs, full of gratitude for the blessings of the day.
I never saw the scraps in the parable in that way. Yes, nothing willed by God is wasted.
Sometimes we think that our gifts and our prayers must be lofty. We sometimes think that our little offerings are not enough. I think of the little birds building their nests with such tiny twigs. And yet, they build a wonderful home. We can learn from that…All of our efforts count. All of our prayers matter. Every kindness, every smile, every word of hope we offer for another is collectively used by God for His purposes. He has built a great nest for us in heaven, and that is our secure hope. Here on earth, so much is fragile, our ‘nests’ are not permanent, and so, God hovers close by, keeping an eagle eye over His little ones.
And I just love those little balls of blue flowers, snuggling into grassy carpets. Utterly lovely, Linda.
The little blue flowers are surrounded by the scattered leaves…In times of great turmoil, we must remember that sometimes just below the surface, something beautiful is about to break free. In the darkness little bulbs wait to burst forth…like all the spring daffodils. The debris of winter and all those leaves cannot tarnish the beauty of those blue bonnets making a grand showing.
A lovely post, Linda. I love blue in Nature, too. The Western skies of the US are often incredibly blue behind its majestic mountains, deserts, and waters. And blue flowers are probably my favorite, as well. I appreciate the hope you’re sharing at this sad, bewildering time. And your pictures are most cheerful. Blessings to you & those suffering in the Ukraine. 🌞
I wish you blessings also! Those Western skies sound amazing. I must get out there to see them one day! Our country has so many beautiful places to explore; God has blessed us richly in these United States of America!
Indeed, this country is gorgeously diverse! 🌞
🙂 🙂 🙂
Such beautiful visions of spring, Linda. Thank you. I love blue–and blue and yellow are special.
Today I heard mockingbirds singing, and it made me smile.
Spring is coming little by little…such a beautiful time of year! 🙂
Yes, it is.
🙂 🙂 🙂
I do believe one of God’s favorite colors must be blue. Too many signs of it in His creation. God’s grip – Alan
I think you are absolutely right! We are surrounded by lots of blue and it is a calming color. It certainly inspires a sense of peace.
It is devastating with everything going on in Ukraine. I too pray for the end of this war in Ukraine and for peace.
It is devastating. We do pray for peace…and soon.
Thank you so much for this post, Linda! It is a timely reminder that in times like these, the very best thing we can do is to lean on our faith. As my father used to say, “If something is God’s, it will endure. If it isn’t, it will pass.” That always gave me comfort!
These have been trying times! Our faith does sustain us in these hours…God is right here with us and that is comfort indeed. 🙂
Gorgeous post. I find blue very relaxing and peaceful too. I go swimming a lot; I know it’s good for my body but more so for my mental health. I just feel so calm in the water.
I love blue also! 🙂 There is nothing quite like swimming…you get a lot of exercise, but it so relaxing as well!
Beautiful blues and signs of spring, Linda. I’m glad you’re finding ways to relax and enjoy some peace during these troubled times.
These are troubled times…Spring has made her debut and it is a breath of fresh air in the midst of it all.
What a beautiful message with a wonderful theme! I love the way you describe the blue wonders in nature & weave them into a deeper message of God’s amazing grace. I also appreciate your prayers for Ukraine! Thank you for this uplifting post! ❤️🤗🙏🏼🌟
We must keep praying for Ukraine! Spring is upon us and it is a wonderful time of the year…:)