Each year in spring, a miracle occurs on the West Coast of South Africa. Fields of wild flowers burst into blossom. And a changing tapestry is woven as different flowers bloom in sequence.
Being a dynamic natural phenomenon, you are never sure what you may see. External factors like the rainfall in the few months preceding August and during the ‘flower season” affect the quality and quantity of flowers at any given time. So it is hard for even the ‘experts’ to predict the best time for a visit. In addition, sunshine at the time of your visit is also a factor determining what you are likely to see. The direction in which you are travelling or viewing the flowers also plays a part as many of the flowers turn to face the sun. So in order to experience the best view you need to be driving away from the sun.
West Coast National Park – August 22 2015.
Many of us are familiar with photos depicting scenes similar to that in my photo above. And it was with great excitement that I was able to witness this remarkable phenomenon with friends. However, ‘getting up close’ brings great rewards. It is then that you can appreciate how this natural great beauty and abundance is sometimes anchored in sand or poor quality soil.
What I describe above could be a metaphor for life. So often we worry about the quality of our ‘soil’. And if we aren’t growing on fertile ground, we accept that as a limiting factor. However, the lesson from the flowers is that nature and other factors compensates and the miracle still occurs.
If you look closely at Photo 2 you’ll see four different types of flowers in the small area that I photographed above. Often we see or pay attention only to that which is obvious. Isn’t it time for us to notice the miracles around us?
My questions for you are:
- What does the current tapestry of your life look like?
- Which colours are dominant right now?
- How often do you marvel at the big picture without paying attention to the smaller miracles?
- When are you ‘getting up close’ to examine your picture more closely?
- How fertile is the soil in which you are growing?
- We do need to plan, prepare and make the most of many situations. But how trusting are you that natural order will produce what is right for you in this season of your life?
- How else can you use the metaphor of the West Coast flower?
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