I meditate on all Thy works; I muse on the work of Thy hands.”
Psalm 143:5 (KJV)
This yellow lady slipper is a joy to “muse on.” I passed it in the Shenandoah National Park along the Appalachian Trail on a cloudy day.
It is part of the orchid family. The large yellow sac is really a petal called the labellum which serves as an inviting landing space for an insect who might then investigate and take away some pollen hiding in the central portion of the flower. The two twisted greenish arms are petals as well. Notice the spots, the tiny hairs, the stripes on the leaves, the wavy sepals above and behind the petals. In early May when these beauties were passed, there is still so much brown and gray on the tops of the mountains. I doubt many pollinating insects can resist this pocket of color.
And who set this universe in motion to burst into something as lovely as this? And how often do I pass by without stopping to meditate and muse on such a work of art? But when I do notice and investigate, I find myself full of gratitude.
May I also meditate on the people that pass through my life, for each too is an intended work of art by God. Yes, sometimes it takes careful looking and redeeming, but it certainly leads to gratitude.
Suggestions:
1. Read the verse and reflect on its meaning for you. What do you notice? What do you wonder? Find something in creation upon which to meditate and muse.
2. Read all of Psalm 143 and see how this verse fits into the whole.
3. Or comment with a photo of your own that is a window of this psalm’s meaning for you.
The next post will be on Psalm 144.
Starting January 1, 2016, for 150 days I am posting an (almost) daily psalm verse with a photo that is a visual meditation on the text for me. Each day a verse from the next psalm is chosen until all 150 psalms have been featured. To participate you may subscribe to my blog at https://elainedent.net or “friend” me on Facebook and watch for the daily links to blog posts. Disclaimer: I am not a photographer and most of the photos are from a cell phone or small camera while hiking the Appalachian Trail or the C&O Canal/Great Allegheny Passage Trail.
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