Different Kind of Gold

Road Trip ~ Desert Lessons continued

Papaver (otherwise known as poppy) ~ provide gay color in spring and summer, need full sun, ordinary soil, good drainage, not too much water, no fertilizer. (source: Sunset Western Garden Book)


One of the reasons for our trip was to see the California poppy in its full glory. It's a fabulous wildflower, true to its description of adding "gay color" to the landscape. As the official state flower, it adds yet another reason to call California "golden." While found throughout California, it literally blankets the right elevations of the southern half of the state.


We drove south on I-5 and exited just past Gorman onto highway 138 east. And there, we entered a different world. Sure, the hills of the Grapevine were draped in a profusion of golden poppies and purple lupine, but now we weren't just looking at their beauty from afar. We were now experiencing their beauty at a more intimate level. The sounds of the freeway gave way to the songs of birds and gently blowing wind. Time slowed down. We were no longer living in the anticipation of the future, but were firmly planted in the present ~ and what a "present" it was.


While our destination was the California Poppy Preserve, the poppies could not be contained within "official" boundaries. No, this is a flower of the land and it was everywhere. It was glorious as our eyes soaked in this wonderful sight. We felt like giddy school kids every time we stopped the car to wander the fields~ which we did over and over on our drive.


It's amazing how something so beautiful could be so tenacious and hardy. Given the right conditions, it grows and flourishes. Isn't the same true of us?

I can really relate to this flower. It needs full sun. I'm right with you Miss Poppy. I, too, need the warmth and light of a full sun. Sure, I can get by on less but I flourish when the sun shines in all its glory. But all the rays from a ball of hot gases doesn't nourish me like the light of The Son, Jesus. His light bathes me in grace and mercy ~ elements sorely needed for this blogger to flourish.


The poppy needs ordinary soil. Nothing fancy or special. Just the basics. Even among a tangle of competing flora, the poppy will find its niche. It gladly accepts the nourishment provided and grows into exceptional beauty. I, too, need the basics ~ the basics of Christ-centered living grounded in truth and love. It the only way anything of beauty will come from this vessel.

The poppy needs good drainage and not too much water. I, too, do much better when I have proper drainage or filters ~ filters that help me establish appropriate boundaries of what is helpful and good for healthy living. And I need the water of life provided by my relationship with Jesus in doses poured out in the perfect amount for me.

The poppy doesn't need fertilizer or fancy amendments and this is where I differ from this lovely flower. I need, I flourish in the fertilizer of God's Word. It's essential for my well-being. It's essential if this flower is going to blossom into the beautiful woman He created me to be.