amaryllis

Darlene received an amaryllis bulb planted in a small pot from Jessica on Christmas Day. We brought it back to New Mexico and Darlene placed it on a shelf by the end wall of our living area, next to some big windows which separate the living area from the sun room where my office is located. The windows give it a lot of indirect light, but it only receives direct light for a very few minutes at the very end of the day as the sun sets. The pot it grows in is very small – a pint or a little more of planting mix is all that it holds. It has grown since Christmas in leaps and bounds – the growth noticeable day by day. We’ve forgotten to water it on a couple of occasions – it protested by drooping way down hanging its leaves and stalk down on the shelf. But, it is resilient, and some water brings it back to life each time. The 4 blooms you see opened a couple of days ago. I’m surprised at how tall and strong the stalk is – over 2 feet supporting those beautiful, big red flower blooms.

Our natural world amazes over and over – a small bulb, content to live out its purpose, in just a little dirt, with some water, grows into this beauty. We get to stand back and enjoy the show by just watching and waiting for 5 weeks or so. The powers of creation teach us over and over that a lot can be done with just a little. It’s a message that is shouted at us in many ways. If we can accept and learn to be content with living out our purpose, the powers of creation can do a lot with just a little.