The Heart Shaped Leaf

I've always thought the leaves of cyclamen are beautiful,

so seeing these sitting in their pool of passing morning sunshine,

on the magical kitchen windowsill* 

as I came into the kichen first thing,

I had to move in to take a closer look.

Then, the illusive trip switch was flipped,

and I really "saw" them for the first time.

From the wonderful precision of the notched edge of the leaves

I saw the miracle of veining,

(which is such an integral part of the beauty),

tracing it's way back to the central heart of the leaf.

The path from the heart to the outside is clear to see.

All those connections from the outer to the inner.

Some running near the surface,

some going deeper.

Simple, yet complex,

in the deep action of the cells and structure

of not only the leaf,

but the whole plant.

How had I not seen it before?

Prov 23:7 says "As a man thinks in heart so he is."

(Need I say that man is the generic term for all of us,

- male or female)?

No matter how we may like to think we appear to others

the truth is, we unconsciously

show more of our nature than we would like.

.

Burns had it about right when he wrote,

"Oh wad some Pow'r the giftie gie us. 

To see oursels as ithers see us!"

Fortunately for us the judgement on our inner heart 

doesn't lie with those

"ithers"

who may well judge us as harshly as we are prone

to judge ourselves.

1Sam.16:7 says

"The LORD does not look at the things people look at.

People look at the outward appearance,

but the LORD looks at the heart.”

It s a great comfort to know that

the eyes which alone can look deep within our true heart,

with it's profound longings,

and strange machinations,

knows and understands us so well,

and stands ready to forgive,

to love,

and to welcome us home 

to His own heart.

 So, when we are feeling a bit ragged around the edges,
or heart sick,  or at any moment, we can be confident to pray,

Lord Jesus,

give us grace to come to you,

and through you,

to know the breadth and length and height and depth,

of the Father's constant and welcoming love,

for we ask knowing this is your own heart's will for us.

Amen.

God Bless 

P.S. The * in the text refers to the "Green Fingers at Last" post in this blog archive.

         For some reason the link back isn't working.