Like the Tulips
One of my favorite reasons for living in Utah is the tulips. Tulips are some of my favorite flowers, and I’ve lived a lot of places where you can’t grow them.
Tulips thrive here specifically because of the cold winters we have. They won’t grow where I used to live in California or in the cozy weather of Florida. They can’t survive without a harsh winter. They use that nasty time to get nutrition and nourishment, waiting patiently for the spring, so they can shoot their way up to the sun.
After each Utah winter, I eagerly wait for my tulips to start stretching up their little green arms. Seeing those bits of life amid the snow thrills me every time – and gives me hope – I know spring and summer are coming because my tulips know it.
Just as Utah winters are very tough for me, so are all of our individual times of adversity. We all have our cold, harsh, dark winters of sorrows and trial. But as we huddle in the cold of those times, we need to remember we are tulips in the Lord’s garden. Our adversity nourishes us and strengthens us spiritually. We can’t expect to have the strength and beauty of a tulip, if we don’t put in the harsh times.
And just as the tulips are the first bearers of the good news of Spring and the Sun of summer is coming, we can also be those who reach for the Son, and give others hope that He is coming.
In his April 2003 conference talk, “Faith through Tribulation Brings Peace and Joy,” Elder Robert D. Hales encouraged us to be those beacons of hope, even as trials beset us.
“As we look into the eyes of our children and grandchildren, we see the doubt and fear of our times. Wherever these precious ones go in the world, they hear about unemployment, poverty, war, immorality, and crime. They wonder, “How can we cope with these problems?”
To find answers, they look back into our eyes and listen to our words. Do they hear us speaking faithfully and hopefully, despite the tribulations of our times?
They need to see us continuing to pray and study the scriptures together, to hold family home evening and family councils, to serve faithfully in our Church callings, to attend the temple regularly, and to be obedient to our covenants. When they see our steadfastness in keeping the commandments, their fears will subside and their confidence in the Lord will increase.
By showing our faith through tribulation, we assure them that the fury of the adversary is not fatal. “
My grandfather, who recently died, was one of the greatest tulips I have ever known. He had many cold, harsh winters of life, living with multiple chronic illnesses for more than 20 years. But that man was always bringing hope to all of us around him. He was always blooming with faith in his tribulations. And even when it seemed like spring was on its way, and those late spring snows would dump on him, he was still there reaching for the Son. Like the tulips, he would stand there, strong and immovable, beautiful in his example, urging others to have hope – he was ever showing that the fury of our winter times is not fatal.
We can all be a bit more like the tulips, blooming and bringing hope to the other flowers of the world. We have the gospel, and we can be strengthened by our trials and then tell the other flowers of the good news. The news that the Son is there. That the winter is over and the Son is coming.
Karissa
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