“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14
Late each winter, I enjoy seeing the appearance of the manzanita bloom in nearby gardens and on local hillsides. Few plants blossom at this time of year, but this sturdy shrub braves the cold and rain and sends forth a profusion of tiny flowers. Shaped like a tiny creme pink Japanese lantern, each is a miniature work of fine art and craftsmanship . On a calm sunny morning, their spicy honey fragrance fills the air, attracting Bumble Bees and other pollinators. Many of these insects time their emergence to when the Manzanita begins to flower. These blooms are one of the first signs of Spring, reminding me that warmer and more pleasant days will soon arrive.
In all gardens throughout the world, there are those messenger plants, that signal a change of season or the coming of more pleasant days. Some brave snow and ice, wind and rains, even heat and drought. Yet they spring forth in spite of these hardships and bring us great joy and hope. I think of the Crocus that push up through winter snows with a flash of their brilliant golden blooms. They are like little splashes of sunshine set on earth to melt winter’s snow. In other places there are the Forsythia, Daffodil, Daphne, Magnolias, and the Bleeding Heart. What plant is a messenger in your part of the world? I thank God for these wonderful plants that bring hope, and joy to our lives.
Have you ever thought of yourself as a messenger of hope? A light that shines in the darkness, bringing good news and the beauty of the Gospel message of Jesus Christ? When we receive His gift of salvation, we are changed and made new. His Spirit fills our life and we begin to shine God’s light out to world around us. Every believer, has the light of Christ shining from within them. This is not an ordinary light. It is the kind of light that draws attention like a flower blooming right through a patch of snow and ice. It is concentrated and brilliant like an attractive blossom which draws life towards it and nourishes those who draw from its nectar. It is life giving and life sustaining.
Don’t hide His light or save it to shine another day, because it will likely lose its brilliance. Jesus once said, “Don’t hide your light under a bowl, but put it on a stand for all to see. Let your light shine before all people, that they might see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven”. Matthew 5:15-16
Take note of those early flowers that brighten those grey days of late winter. Let them remind you of how Christ wishes us to shine His light to all the world.