The other day, as I was coming back in the house after getting
the mail, I was excited to see a little patch of Maidenhair Fern growing in front
of my house. When I first moved to my
home over 10 years ago, I was excited to learn that there were little sprouts
of Maidenhair Fern behind my home - I have always enjoyed looking for them in
the spring.
I first came upon Maidenhair Fern when I visited the
Morton Arboretum in the Chicago area in the spring. If you have never seen Maidenhair Fern, it is
one of the most delicate plants you may ever see. With the slightest breeze, its tiny
little fronds sway ever so gently.
To me, it was a gift of Grace when I learned I had
Maidenhair Fern growing in my backyard.
Then, out of the blue, 10 years later, this sweet little patch appeared
in my front yard! Another gift of Grace!
Recently, while visiting the Tonto Natural Bridge State
Park, near Payson, Arizona, I came upon a beautiful patch of Maidenhair Fern
growing out of the rocks (see picture below).
They seem to like this a lot, especially when the snowmelt gently weeps
through the rocks to give them nourishment.
I found this was common at Zion National Park, as well.
Isn’t it amazing how under the
earth, in places where we cannot see, the re
is new growth happening—it’s always a surprise to see what has bloomed—always
beautiful! As well, God always surprises
us with what He has planted inside us.
When we allow ourselves to flourish, beauty comes forth. Often, we are too afraid to allow our inner
selves to show for fear we will be judged.
Can we possibly gain trust in all that is underneath our presumed darkness
– in the beauty that God has instilled in us?
In The Riddle of Grace (1996), Scott Hoezee
believes that when we understand and feel God’s Grace, we become “gracious in the sense of being grace-like, of showing forth in
our own lives some of the qualities
of God’s Grace in Christ” or what he calls “living graciously.” Hoezee then shared Lewis Smedes’ findings in Shame and Grace (1994): “There is a
weightlessness about grace. It has the feel of a fairy tale; what makes it a very
special fairy tale is that it is true.”
Maidenhair Ferns have a weightlessness about them, too,
like they’ve come from a fairy tale. So,
if you want to feel Grace, find some Maidenhair Ferns and enjoy the
graciousness they gently exude.
