Sundays with the Chaplain

Several weeks ago, I introduced Sundays with the Chaplain. My father-in-law, Marion Wojnarowski, is a 48 year veteran evangelist and pastor. In honor of his legacy of love for Christ, I wanted to feature his writing on Sundays.This week, I hope you enjoy this new post from him- “From Showers to Flowers.”

Everyone has heard the old saying “Take time to smell the roses!” Why? Because they will soon wilt and the fragrance will soon disappear– so like the opportunities of enjoying our lives, that seem to pass so quickly.

The month of May is a time of giving flowers to our Moms and for decorating the graves of our departed loved ones, especially those who have served our Nation in some capacity. Yet the flower power is very effective this time of year, as we see our street corners filled with flower peddlers who sell the buckets of cut flowers and potted plants to entice the passer-by to stop and buy flowers for their loved ones.

King Solomon writes in the book of The Song of Solomon 2:12-13 of the time to enjoy the blossoming of the flowers, describing the love that Christ has for His bride (Church)…

“The flowers appear on the earth; the times of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; the fig tree putteth forth her green figs, ad the wines with the tender grapes give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”

Note what the Scriptures say about flowers, to show the shortness of things we hold dear to our lives:

The shortness of riches…like fading flowers:

Recorded in James 1:10-11…“But the rich, in that he is made low; because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.  For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth; so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.”

The shortness of brevity of life– like fading flowers:

Recorded in Job 14:1-2…“Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower and is cut down; He fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not.”

Our failing health reminds us of the wilting of a beautiful flower, as its petals begin to fall below the vase of yout.

The shortness of physical beauty…like fading flowers: Recorded in Isaiah 28:1…”Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the fat valleys of them that overcome with wine.”

Foolish people speed up the process of aging thru their addictions of drugs and excessive consumptions of alcohol.  Note how the flower of that beautiful singing lady, Whitney Houston faded out through personal abuse to her body. What a waste of God-given talent!

Let us take our Lord at his infallible Word, recorded in Isaiah 40;8…”The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever.”

Enjoy the blooms in your life.

Dr. Marion Wojnarowski