Beauty of the weeds!

I have already shared a quote from the chapter "Nature's Perspective" in our book for class The Way of Discernment: Spiritual Practices for Decision Making by Elizabeth Liebert in my recent post about the pine tree.

For someone who connects well with Creator through nature, it's a great chapter. There are many things I can write about.

A few things about weeds. Dandelions are considered weeds. For me, they aren't a weed, but a beautiful wildflower, growing up on their own, where they wish to grow. (I wrote about them recently.)  Some weeds have flowering and others remain leafy green. 

At our home we have weeds in our garden area, on our patio, in our bricks, in our yard. For the most part, weeds are something you pull up, you get rid of, right?!

But, wait!

What if we were to see the beauty in the weeds? The dandelion for example, in its yellow form, is bright yellow and throws off much brightness. It can be cheery and joyful. In the ball or blowy flower stage, there is beauty in the round ball and how light hits the opaqueness of the seeds. In the weeds of greenery, there can be a certain lushness and sense of life.

There is a poem by Mary Oliver on page 136 entitled "Praying". This poem caused me to reflect on the beauty of the weeds.  It comes from her book Thirst. I invite you to read through this poem slowly, taking note of what stands out to you.

Praying

It doesn't have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention. then patch

a few words together and don't try
to make them elaborate, this isn't
a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which 
another voice may speak.

As I read this poem, the "weeds in a vacant lot" caught my attention. We had just walked by a house (not vacant) with a lot FULL of weeds on our way to dinner on Monday night. There was some yard art (a peacock) and some political signs. The yard was maybe about 8 inches to a foot high in places of greenery, with some flowers. Though overgrown, it had its beauty. Can God, Creator, the Divine REALLY be present in the weeds?  Can we be grateful to God, Creator, the Divine for all that we see in nature? Can we allow what IS there to help us better see and know God, Creator, the Divine?

Other words that standout to me are: doorway, thanks, silence, and another voice.

Though this lot isn't vacant, I couldn't help but put it together with Mary Oliver's poem.

Maybe the next time you see a bunch of weeds, you will pay attention to them and in the silence that you offer, another voice may speak.

Who knew that weeds could draw us nearer to the heart of God, right?!

It's possible. Especially when we are open to it and/or actively present to the God possibilities around us.

It may not be the weeds that get your attention. It may be the small  stones or the blue iris.  It could be the pine tree or the blue bird. Whatever gets your attention in nature, may it be an opportunity to gaze, to listen to the Holy.

May you find the presence of the Divine in unexpected places!

Rev. Deb