The Grace of Maidenhair Ferns

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, there 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.