The last time I wrote on this blog on Amarayllas Lily flowers was on 3 April, 2024, with photos of flowers with two, three, four and five flowers. That was the summer flowers. Now it is the season for winter flowers.
During the in between time the plants look bare with leaves alone. When the flowers appear the garden looks different with vibrancy of colours.
It is when it is windy these flowers swing freely in its stalk. The stalk is hollow inside with a thin wall and yet it stands the wind to hold the flowers.
That intrigued me. One can easily crush the stem or bend it but it is resistant to break normally!
Its resilience is in its structure. The fibres that form the stem would be strong to withstand normal mechanical stress.
I felt stranded yesterday morning when the car would not start after I retuned after shopping. The display comes on while pushing the start button, but the engine would not start! The local mechanic could not help excepting checking the battery, which was well charged. The fuel tank was full.
When the regular service provider arrived after two hours, he suspected the motor responsible for automatic gear shift was faulty. He managed to start the car and took it away to the work shop.
During that two hours of wait, it surprised me that it was the first time I experienced such a difficulty! Having used eight other cars and driven five hundred thousand kilometres, it was the first time I felt stranded with the car not starting! The mechanic was still inspecting the car when I contacted them in the evening!
It was in the backdrop of that experience I was reviewing the phots of the Lilies taken this week! Their presence is in a hostile terrain with daytime heat, wind and rain battering them. Their resilience is in its strum and roots.
While waiting for the mechanics to arrive, I traced the car journeys of yesteryears. The longest car journey was from Vellore to Shillong to visit Arpit and Amy who were working at Roberts Hospital in Shillong, that too in an entry level car of Maruti. There were three car accidents in the earlier years of my driving, one was due to micro sleep. Although there were damages to the car, there was no injury to us or others on the road.
The imagery of Lilies thriving in difficult environmental conditions brought a message of comfort! The difficulties are normal and real, but its is the spirit within that defines the attitude and approach. What surprised me was the two cheerful mechanics who arrived greeting me and saying, 'it is unusual for this generation of car to have such a problem. We shall sort it out'. They even offered to drop me at home.
I reflected on this stressful situation as I was to have been on on-line conversation with a hospital, which got delayed by about an hour. I was able to join them for the conversation.
To have a sense of presence is comforting! Although I felt unsettled initially, the good memories of dependable and refreshing car journeys flooded my mind ! That filled my consciousness and protected me from sliding to an anxiety state, which to me was gift of grace !
Life carries the colourfulness in all situations! Any set back is normal and therefore to be received as they occur!
The machines can fail! The inner spirit too can also fail, but the revival comes because, our lives remain anchored in God who fills our soul with hope and faith!
The soil holds the Lilies, God holds us grounded in hope because 'He who watches over us neither sleep nor slumber' (Psalm 121:4) !
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
