Pressed Flowers ~ Crushed but not Destroyed

Gravel grumbled beneath my boots as I hiked up Nightbird Gulch.  The ominous rainclouds hovering around mountain peaks seemed to mirror the sorrow in my heart.  All around, slopes turned that special hue of minty green that comes after a spring rain in the Rockies.  In the meadows, wildflowers of every color and shape stretched towards heaven.  They bobbed their heads in the breeze, celebrating to some celestial music unheard by mortal ears.  I lamented the fact that in a month or so the summer sun will let its heavy heat fall upon these fields, and the buds will fade and drop.  That is the way of everything on this earth; it all passes away too quickly. “For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes.” (James 1v11).  If only I could preserve these graceful petals, these exquisite shades of yellow and red and purple! My thoughts turned to human life, and how fragile we are.

I continued ruminating on these things as I reached the mountain summit.  The biota changed at that high elevation: blooming cacti, clovers, pasque flowers, and wild roses peeked up betwixt rocky crevasses.  I sat on a boulder, plucked a dainty white flower, and smelled it: subtle notes of honey and musk.  As I held the delicate bud, the Lord brought a Bible verse to my mind: “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4v8&9). This verse describes how I’ve felt these past few months. Yet, in my mind’s eye, I see a long-term beauty being created out of the process. How often have I cut a flower from its stalk, taken it home, and pressed it firmly between two boards to preserve it.  How often have I made colorful bookmarks and decorations with the preserved shapes and colors, to send to my friends to bless them. The flower is dead, but its color will never fade.

Have you ever wondered, ‘Lord, was it worth it?’ Perhaps you poured your heart and soul into a relationship that ended. Or perhaps a dream was shattered just as you reached out to grasp it. Maybe you were despised and misunderstood by the very people you loved. Or you toiled for years on something beautiful that is gone forever. Was it worth it? How can we answer this question? According to God’s word, it is always worth it. Jesus assured His disciples that God sees all that we do, even the good things done in secret that go unrecognized by others (see the beginning of Matthew 6). The goodness and kindness of every righteous person are preserved, even if no one else recognizes it as good.  The Holy Spirit Himself is the laminate—the seal that keeps us (Ephesians 1v13).  Our spirits will be protected, and they will persist forever.

        This is so important to remember in a world of cancel culture. Being afflicted, perplexed, persecuted and struck down does not automatically mean we have been evil. Many who lived a life worthy of admiration were viciously attacked. Indeed, Jesus said to His disciples: “Woe to you when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.” (Luke 6v26). Thus despite a person’s caliber of character, some will try their best to malign that person’s reputation.  This is nothing new, and I suppose the trend will continue through the ages.  The Father of Lies is quick to hang a bull’s eye on the back of anyone walking in the truth.  Yet, in the end, light always overcomes darkness.  The name of a righteous person becomes a benediction in our mouths, while the memory of a wicked person fades away with the seasons.

        What we do in this life matters.  In a society that calls good “bad” and bad “good”, we who stand for truth are often struck down.  Sometimes even our good deeds are seen as evil. But let us press on, as our spiritual forebears did, never tiring of doing good, for in due season the Lord will bring in a lovely harvest.  Let us not make the same mistake of called "good" "bad". Days of persecution and affliction are good, not bad, because these are the days of sanctification in which faith is fortified. The moment we feel pressures closing in on every side heralds the very moment God is preserving us. And those colors of our faith will never fade, but grow brighter and brighter through all eternity.