The season of Spring is upon us and the dogwood blossoms have unfolded in all their glorious beauty. I remember a poem/legend that my Mother used to tell us about the dogwood. The legend may be untrue, but like the sand dollar upon the beaches I believe God placed signs in nature so that we would not forget what his son did for us on the cross. The legend/poem is as follows:
In Jesus’ time, the dogwood grew
To a stately size and a lovely hue.
’Twas strong and firm it’s branches interwoven
For the cross of Christ its timbers were chosen.
Seeing the distress at this use of their wood
Christ made a promise which still holds good:
“Never again shall the dogwood grow
Large enough to be used so.
Slender and twisted, it shall be
With blossoms like the cross for all to see.
As blood stains the petals marked in brown
The blossom’s center wears a thorny crown.
All who see it will remember Me
Crucified on a cross from the dogwood tree.
Cherished and protected, this tree shall be
A reminder to all of my agony.”
Remember it is just a legend. But as I watched carefully this morning with the winds blowing, I saw the blossoms tremble. And as I cleaned and went about my day, the trembling of the dogwood blossoms amazed me and the following free verse came forth;
As the dogwood humbled itself to the Lord Jesus
Its fruit, the blossom became the symbol of th price the Lord Jesus
Christ paid for our sins on the cross
The tree decided that as each person in the earth came to know the Lord Jesus and answered His call
The humble tree would put forth a blossom to represent the soul
for Jesus
The soul so dressed by Jesus that it was pure white
And dipped in the blood, in the blood of Jesus
Our Savior
And the flower’s petals cupped upwards with praise
to receive their portion from Jesus
The wind of the presence of the Lord blew again
And the blossoms trembled in adoration
Of Jesus
The Savior of Mankind!
Has the dogwood tree put out a blossom to represent you on that tree of acceptance of Jesus as Savior?
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Rena, your poem and the legend of the dogwood is a reminder that God is speaking to us in nature and so many ways if we stop to observe, and listen. His creation is not haphazard, but orderly and purposeful, just like every word He speaks.
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead…” Romans 1:20 (NKJ)
My yard is aglow with blooms and blossoms. Nothing like spring in Virginia!
Sure hope my name is on one of those blossoms.
One of the Hymns that I and some of my students love (along with THIS IS MY FATHER’S WORLD is ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL because it captures their imagination and the sense and purpose and theme of What the children see about them every day. And it awakens them to more than taking for granted the wonders of nature that they see about them, daily. Not so much Mother Nature, as the world would have us think but the Maker, the Creator of Heaven and earth and of all thing bright and beautiful.
ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL
ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL
ALL THING WISE AND WONDERFUL
THE LORD GOD MADE THEM ALL
EACH LITTLE FLOWER THAT OPENS
EACH LITTLE BIRD THAT SINGS
HE MADE THEIR GLOWING COLORS
HE MADE THEIR TINY WINGS
That’s how my yard looked, Sara, the other day. I came home Thursday evening and the tree in my front yard was barren and brown and haunted-looking. When I left in the morning for work, a miracle had happened overnight. A myriad of huge bright pink blossoms had bloomed on my foreboding tree and it was a glory with light and color. Mother Nature, indeed! It’s GOD and I wonder, how does HE do THAT??! Thank You God for the beauty of the earth. Man has done his best to deface and defile,
to spoil, damage and destroy the environment and still, it is beautiful and glorious to behold, in Spring and Summer and Fall and Winter.
Yes, the dogwoods are in bloom, and they are beautiful! Thanks, Rena for sharing your poem.
Yes, I believe God gave us many signs and wonders to enjoy. The ocean and the roar of the waters sure tells me a story.
The Psalmist sings unto the Lord God: Psalm 89:11 “The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all it contains, You have founded them.”
And, a prophet of old speaks; Isaiah 42:5 “Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it And spirit to those who walk in it,…”