“Sweeter Than ‘Two Lips’ in the Dark”
April 30, 2022
The last week of April is one of my favorite weeks of the year for at least two reasons—it is the week of Grandmom Margie’s, my maternal grandmother, birthday, who is in heaven, and it is the week tulips are in full bloom in my yard. I am not sure Grandmom Margie ever planted a tulip garden but she did plant this poem in my mind years ago—
“Tulips in the garden. Tulips in the park. No tulips are sweeter, than two lips in the dark.”
This year, my tulips did not teach me a new poem, but they taught me a much needed lesson in faith. A couple of years ago I planted 50 bulbs in my front yard and last spring each and every one of them bloomed. This past fall I planted another 50 bulbs, but in my back yard. As fall became winter, and winter became spring, I began to see signs of tulip growth in my front yard, but not so in my back yard. And I became somewhat obsessed with the lack of growth with those tulips. I started to think that I planted the bulbs too late, or maybe, even though I knew better, planted the bulbs upside down. Every day, even a couple of times a day, I would check on those tulips, but nothing was popping through the ground.
However, when I googled about these worries, I learned that I did not plant the bulbs too late, and that even if I had planted the bulbs upside down, the bulbs, by nature, know which way is up and they would turn themselves around and eventually bloom. How amazing is God’s creation! My worries were greatly alleviated, and my checking on the tulips was reduced to once a day, and eventually to every other day. I replaced my tulip concerns with prayers to God, asking and trusting Him to bring my tulips to full bloom. And He did!
On April 25th, my maternal grandmother’s 122nd birthday, my back yard tulips began to poke through the ground and Hebrews 11:1 popped into my mind.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
I had hoped for my tulips to bloom (substance of things hoped for) and I had been, not so patiently, waiting for them to break through the invisible underground into visibility above ground (evidence of things not seen). When they finally did, I realized that, just as my physical eyesight gives evidence of the material world surrounding me, faith is the “sense” that gives me evidence of the invisible world.
Hebrews 11:1 has a far deeper theological meaning than tulip bulbs, but my tulips reminded me that if we have the “substance” before us, and if we can see it, there is no use for faith. Faith is needed for what we cannot see and cannot touch. Faith is the evidence of things not seen! It is a willingness to trust in, to rely on, and to cling to. The day I stopped obsessing about my tulips, and checking on them every day, twice a day, and asked God to bring them to full bloom, is the day I was willing to trust in, rely on, and cling to God for evidence of tulips not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 is the introductory verse to a beautiful chapter often referred to as the “Hall of Faith”. This chapter specifically names some amazing Old Testament giants of faith such as, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Rahab, and David. For example, God promised a son to Abraham and Sarah, and it was not until Abraham was 100 years old that their son, Isaac, was born. David was but a youth when Samuel anointed him as king. It wasn’t until many years later than David actually walked the palace floors in his role as king.
Their testimonies of faith are an inspiring reminder that worrying about how to make something grow, or come to be, is useless. These giants of the faith, kept hoping, believing, walking, and living by faith. And God brought about what He had promised. He’ll do the same for you and me.
Grandmom Margie may have been right about no tulips being sweeter than two lips in the dark. And, missionary Louisa Stead, was also right, that ‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus!
’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus
‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word
Just to rest upon His promise,
Just to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
I’m so glad I learned to trust Him,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend
And I know that He is with me,
Will be with me to the end.
Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood
And in simple faith to plunge me
‘Neath the healing, cleansing flood!
Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.
Source: LyricFind