The Nature of It All

Jesus deigned to teach me this mystery. He set before me the book of nature; I understood how all the flowers he has created are beautiful, how the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not take away the perfume of the little violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy. I understood that if all flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty, and the fields would no longer be decked out with little wildflowers.

And so it is in the world of souls, Jesus' garden. He willed to create great souls comparable to lilies and roses, but he has created smaller ones and these must be content to be daisies and violets destined to give joy to God's glances when He looks down at His feet. Perfection consists in doing His will, in being what He wills us to be...

Just as the sun shines simultaneously on the tall cedars and on each little flower as though it were alone on the earth, so Our Lord is occupied particularly with each soul as though there were no others like it. And just as in nature all the seasons are arranged in such a way as to make the humblest daisy bloom on a set day, in the same way, everything works out for the good of each soul.

-Saint Thérèse, The Story of a Soul

Oh, the simplicity of a daisy! And, oh, God caring for it individually! I am not so sure I need to add anything to these words from Thérèse de Lisieux. They were just the words I needed to encounter today. God is good like that! Isn't it a gift when one quote is able to encompass all the conversations and thoughts you've been having?

Let us walk in the holy presence.

a daisy set to bloom - even everything you see encompassed by the quote!