Who But God?

My ladies Bible study gave me this hydrangea today.

My first one.

I'm stunned by the richness of the velvety blue blooms and the deep green of the leaves.

Who but God could create such beauty? 

This stuff doesn't happen by accident.

Of course, I had to connect with Mr. Google this afternoon to learn how to care for it. I discovered that I have to feed it aluminum. Too little aluminum in the soil means pink blooms.

Amazing!

Did you know that in the 19th century aluminum was more costly than gold? Did you know that aluminum is the most abundant metal (third most abundant element) in the earth's crust, but that it's so reactive it's hardly ever found in its pure state?

(There's spiritual significance there, but I'm sidetracked from my flowers.)

I also learned there are lots of ways to manipulate colors to pink and blue and purple and mixtures by doing things like adding lime or rusty nails, but that you can't change the color of white hydrangeas, though God sometimes adds pink and red to the blooms as they move toward the green of an aging flower. 

Fascinating!

Anyway, after class I went to a local farmer's market (Horrock's for you Michigan people) and picked up this hardy "Knock Out" rose to plant in memory of Rose Dog.

I also just wanted to pick up a few herbs, but I was overcome by the scents and colors.

Everywhere I looked.

Reds and purples and whites and pinks and blues and yellows and oranges and greens of every shade and mixtures of all!

Who but God?

I filled my basket with Mexican evening primrose, flax, beard tongue, petunias, geraniums, salvia, marigolds, portulaca, ageratum, vinca, parsley, chives, basil, chervil, and tomatoes to add to the blooming astilbe and bachelor's buttons and lilies of the valley and yet-to-bloom day lilies and black-eyed susans and daisies and hosta.

And a box of zinnia seeds.

And I came home to the heavy sweet scent of the first peony blooms.

And this summer--provided I remember to water everything--I'll drink in the colors and the fragrances and watch butterflies and hummingbirds and behold God.

Because who but God could create such beauty?

"Attention, all!  See the marvels of God! 

He plants flowers and trees all over the earth, 

Bans war from pole to pole

breaks all the weapons across His knee.

Step out of the traffic! Take a long,

loving look at me, your High God,

above politics, above everything."

Psalm 46:8-10 (Message)

Where do you see the marvels of God?
Can you slow down--step out of the traffic?

Can you look at Him longer than and above anything else?

Copyright © 2010 by Sandra Heska King