Thought for the Week
Slow-Growing Beauty. I captured this image of a budding magnolia tree on an early spring walk. It was the first time I’d ever bothered to photograph buds. In fact, I rarely even noticed them. Instead, early each spring I’d look at the “empty” tree limbs and wonder when they would “come to life.”
But of course, they already had.
Long Before Any Signs Appeared…
…life was at work within them. And then the first signs—tiny, nascent buds—would become visible. But only to those who, unlike me, looked closely enough.
When we moved to Ohio, I noticed that redbuds were among the first trees to blossom in the spring, and that, although their flowers were beautiful, they were pink, not red.
“So why are they called redbuds,” I wondered aloud.
“Well, duh,” my wife gently replied, “because their buds are red.”
Why hadn’t I noticed that? Because I’d never actually looked at their buds. Once I did, I realized they had a beauty of their own, a subtle slow-growing beauty.
How Many People are Like That?
Tragically, some never reach full flower at all. But others simply take a long, long time to get there. And so we fail see their sleepily developing promise of beauty. Instead, we see only their rough and scarred bark.
Maybe, if we look closer, we’ll learn to see the nascent good in others, to recognize their slow-growing beauty. And when we do…
Maybe they’ll even see it in us.
Good thoughts!
Thanks, Scott!
Beautiful post with a valuable message.
Thank you, Eugi. (Is that your name, btw?)
You’re welcome, Mitch. Eugi is short for Eugenia, which is my middle name.
Ah. So, is that what you prefer to be called?
Yes. Eugenia seemed to be difficult to spell for some, thus the reason I shortened it for my blog. 😊
Love this Mitch….How many beautiful slow growing moments we miss by our impatience….
Beautiful. Funny though, the Magnolias in MO are green all year round. The new leaves just push the old leaves off and replace them. The buds are still beautiful and the flowers gorgeous!
Wise trees, Pamela.
lol okay ☺️
Thanks for the thoughtful post.
My pleasure, Ionia.
Nice
Thanks, L.G.
That’s a great title, Mitch. Calls the process just right, I think. I appreciate your wondering voice, here, even more so the insight that you share.
Thank you, Christopher. I’m glad it spoke to you.
Love the lessons from nature. Good post.
Thank you. (May I ask your name?)
We die imperfect. But hopefully at our personal best. No way to judge others, we weren’t dealt the same hand. It may be true,,,,,”Only the good, die young,” However imperfect, maybe at their personal potential.
God sees deep into our hearts.
Let me think…….am I a slow-growing beauty?????
Oh, definitely, Geoff. ;>)
I have 2 bookd by Burroughs about walks through nature. I picked them up as a used book sale and discovered they had previously belonged to a friend of my dad’s family. I’m not sure where they’re at right now, but I’m sure they are here somewhere among my hundreds of books. They are small, something you could almost carry in your pocket. Thanks for posting this and reminding me about those lovely books, Mitch.
I am like that!!.
.
Maybe not so much before .
.
I supose God wants to show us how marvellous is the World He created.
🧡
I love your nature/humanity comparisons. The struggle for plants/people to blossom is an interesting reflection. Thanks, Mitch. 🙂
My pleasure, Nancy.
Beautiful comparisons and thoughts! ❤️
Thank you, Kiki. 🧡
Redbuds were always my favorite, too. ☺️
Loved these words and the beautiful photograph. So many people rushing around on their hamster wheels they never stop to see the beauty of God’s creation.
You’re exercising my brain cells too much Mitch 😁. Thankyou. I enjoyed this and I think I’m going to cry …
🧡
Lovely, thoughtful piece.
Thank you, Emma.
Lovely piece, Mitch! 👏
Thank you, T!
Always a pleasure.
What a beautiful post! Thank you for sharing.
🧡
I think men are usually not aware of the growing beauty around us, and when it does appear we don’t see the beauty only the matter.
It is true that life is moving when we don’t see it happening, that is the constant work of the Father in each of us.
Let us learn to see the beauty.
Blessings