Last week we received a peace lily – a lovely gift delivered to our door.  I’ve placed it in a shady spot on my lanai, and hope that by the time you read this it is still alive and healthy!  

Curious about the name of this flower I checked into it.  I learned that in almost every part of the world, the Peace Lily is looked upon as a sign of peace and tranquility.   The symbolism went on to associate the flower with calmness, compassion, sympathy, kindheartedness, harmony, hopefulness, and reduced stress.   That’s a lot to ask from one plant, no matter how beautiful, but I get the idea.

I was reminded of our Easter Lilies, symbol of hope and rebirth.   In early Christian paintings, the lily is used as a symbol of chastity and purity and is often associated with the Virgin Mary. 

The Gospel of Luke speaks to us about lilies.  Jesus was teaching his disciples not to be anxious about their daily lives, what they would eat or what they would wear.   The analogy he chose:  the lily. “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin; yet I say unto you, Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”  Luke 12:27  

Peace, tranquility, hopefulness:  such beautiful opposites to stress and anxiety.   May the God of unconditional love bring peace into your heart today.

Judy