TULIPS and PRAYERS

(note: the photos from the left and the right were taken ONLY 4 hours apart)

I am so amazed by TULIPS… I do not mean the theological acronym from the Reformed Christian teachings but the real flower.

Coming from the tropical climate country Philippines where we could most likely see tulips only in picture calendars, post cards and from time to time in high end flower shops where only the rich can afford them, it is quite a pleasant change to see so many varieties and colors of tulips in Canada.

So, what is so fascinating about tulips? Last autumn, Elaine bought a couple of bags of tulip bulbs to plant in our backyard. In case you haven’t seen one, a tulip bulb looks no different from a dried avocado seed… yes, as ugly as a dried avocado seed. Autumn is the prescribed time to bury the bulb; plant it and forget it… the winter season actually helps you forget about it by covering the whole backyard with snow. The last winter that we went though was the harshest one in 39 years, you even wonder if any living organism in the yard will survive the seemingly unending below zero temperature.

Then comes spring… In Genesis 8:22, God promised Noah after the flood that as long as this earth remains, seasons will not cease… in the midst of the ugly winter, the hope of the coming spring will remain as long as the earth remains. Just a few days after spring officially started, a green leaf pops out from the barren ground where the last lump of snow just receded, a few days more and there is a bunch of leaves and the tulip buds begin sprouting out, then finally, a full blooming garden of tulips completed the miraculous cycle.

We were looking out from our dining area in awe of how beautiful the tulips were when the thought just hit me that the miracle of tulip is no different from PRAYERS.

We have always heard how people referring to unanswered prayers would say “my prayers are all hitting the ceiling”. The insinuation is that the ceiling stops the prayers from going straight up to heaven where God would hear it.

And how are tulips compared to prayers? You say your prayers with faith and according to God’s general will and yet at times, we are almost tempted to question whether God in fact heard our prayers. No immediate manifestations that you are getting any answers. The long waiting time is similar to the winter season in between autumn when the bulb was planted and spring when the actual flower blooms which then can be compared to the answered prayers. Unfortunately, most of us get discouraged by winter because we want God to answer according to our desired result and time not knowing that His ways are always the best for us and He gives them in His perfect time.

Well, the tulips taught me a good lesson on prayers and just want to share them to everyone. Next time you feel that your prayers seem unheard... remember the TULIPS!