Prayer of my Heart

Lord, let me be a tree
Standing strong and steady
Roots holding fast and reaching deep
Into the depths of your truth.

Lord, let me be a tree
Strong and sheltering
Branches stretching upward, leaves ever turning
Toward the warmth of your love.


But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
                                                       Psalm 1

photo for this entry by Jason Mills

Intricacy

Ahh Lord God, in the orchestration of life You have shown such care, such fine-tuning, such brilliance! The intricate interdependence between so many plant and insect species is such a common example that we easily take it for granted. A walk on the prairie between late spring and the first frosts of fall reveals a constant hum of activity centered around the flowers currently in bloom. The profusion of plants and pollinators on the prairie is an amazing thing, but even more wondrous is the fact that not all pollinating insects visit all flowers indiscriminately -- flower design (coloration, shape, fragrance, season of blooming, time of opening, length of time available, etc.) often favors specific pollnating species. The striking red flowers of the royal catchfly, for example, favor pollination by certain butterflies since bees do not "see red". And yet it all works in concert such that species that rely on nectar and pollen have a sufficient food supply when it's needed, and all flowering plants have an adequate number of appropriately equipped pollinators at the season they're in bloom. There is a complexity and beauty here that defies any attempts to unravel it all, but You Lord God have it all in hand. It is a startling symphony of life and you, Lord, are the composer. Thank you.