A Bouquet of Ideas
A famous philosopher in the Renaissance era was given accolades for his brilliant ideas and writings but he shied away for taking so much credit.
He explained that he gathered flowers from other people’s gardens, tied a string around them to make a bouquet and gave them to others. He was just the string, he insisted. 1
Think about it. A bouquet is an arrangement of flowers, beautiful in color with a pleasant or sweet fragrance.
I do love that bouquet analogy. We gather flowers– ideas and concepts– from various people’s gardens, put them together, make a bouquet and tie it up with a string for others.
Most of us probably do that at some time. We take. We gather. We absorb. We give.
Think of those you bless when you share helpful ideas, knowledge, skills, counsel and guidance you gleaned from others over the years. Add your own beneficial experiences gained through training, travelling, and just everyday living, and you can have a lovely bouquet. Then, you can be the string and share.
I saw this firsthand some years ago while on a mission outreach with fifteen other American women in an Indian village high in the Guatemalan mountains. Our nurses opened a temporary clinic, the teachers, a small school and at night we preached in the church. Through interpreters we talked with their women and one afternoon down by a lake, our women washed the feet of their women –many with babies strapped to their backs.
One morning our team leader, JoNell, and I with our interpreter, rode in a flatbed truck as far as the dirt path led. Then we hiked the rest of the way up the mountain through coffee fields to reach the home of a pastor who asked us to come pray a blessing on his home and family. We happily entered their modest one-room dwelling with its simple tin roof and dirt floor where baby chicks scratched at our feet. Their family of four lived in one room, lighted only by a kerosene lantern—without an indoor bathroom.
I soon noticed a small coffee can holding a bouquet of stunning white calla lilies–wildflowers the pastor’s wife had picked to bring beauty into her modest home. After we had prayed for them, each of us talked excitedly through our interpreter about our Christian experiences. The Guatemalan family even sang some praise choruses in their beautiful voices. Walking back down that mountain I thought about the peace and camaraderie that I’d just experienced in that tiny home.
Whenever I recall that memorable moment, I get teary eyed because I can still picture those gorgeous lilies in a can, hear those songs of praise from those precious people, and remember some of the wisdom they shared with us that morning. And I will never forget.
Do flowers have any symbolic meaning for our faith? I had not thought much about it until I came across one author’s explanation:
“Throughout history, certain flowers have been used in religious artwork to express abstract ideas and thoughts. Often times, these flowers are used to serve as a reminder of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. In addition, several aspects of various flowers, such as color and shape, are used to represent Christ’s love and purity,” she wrote. 2 Abstract ideas and thoughts.
A bouquet of flowers. Let’s go share as that family in Guatemala did with me–Christ the Light of the world.
Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for the beauty of the earth and for the people You allow us to share our lives with. Help us to stay mindful of our influence and be good ambassadors for You. Amen.
Scripture: He has gone down to his garden, to his spice beds, to pasture his flock and to gather the lilies. (Solomon 6:2 TLB)
Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don’t fuss with their appearance—but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? (Luke 12:27-28 MSG)
Footnotes:
- Arthur Gordon, Return to Wonder, Nashville, TN.: Broadman&Holman, 1996, p.89. Illustration of Montaigne (1533-1592).
- https://classroom.synonym.com/flowers-associated-christ-meanings-5274.html (accessed March10, 2023).
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