Psalm 103:15-17
King James Version
15 As for man, his days are as grass:
as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone;
and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the mercy of the Lord
is from everlasting to everlasting
upon them that fear him,
and his righteousness
unto children's children;
Does your country have a national flower?
A flower you can call your own?
Something representative, and symbolic of your country?
We do have, in the Philippines.
I'm glad SPIRIT led me to a photo today.
Even as I was searching for something else.
Something ENTIRELY different.
Then I realized He led me to our national flower.
The SAMPAGUITA!
The one woven into garlands.
Sold by vendors outside Catholic churches.
Or along sidewalks, at the foot of the church.
The one that entices me, as I walk.
Its aroma making me stop, each time.
And I head to where this tiny, lovely flower is.
I make time to inhale its delicate scent.
Grateful, for its heavenly scent.
A scent, like no other.
When I was still Catholic, I'd buy a garland, or three.
And place if over the Virgin Mary's clasped hands.
But things changed when GOD made me born again.
EXACTLY 56 months today.
I don't honor statues anymore.
I honor GOD's laws instead.
But I will always respect people, and His creation.
How Someone so powerful, could create something so delicate!
Such is the sampaguita.
It's white petals, so cool to the fingers.
But it's so delicate, it doesn't last with the heat.
Nor the touch of one's fingers.
It turns brown soon enough.
But after the original fresh fragrance is gone, a scent lingers.
Until it's turned all brown.
Still, it has given us pleasure for that moment.
From its all-too brief existence.
How GLORIOUS our GOD is!
How wonderful His creations are!
How it pleases my born again soul!
I can only feel gratitude in my heart.
At the little things many tend to overlook.
In their haste to go about their way.
And yet, this tiny flower makes people stop.
As they inhale the fragrance that only GOD could infuse.
Upon a flower, among many other flowers.
But this sampaguita has a fragrance all its own.
I will share with you what I learned about it today:
"Jasminum sambac (Arabian jasmine or Sambac jasmine)[1][3] is a species of jasmine native to tropical Asia, from the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia.
Jasminum sambac is a small shrub or vine growing up to 0.5 to 3 m (1.6 to 9.8 ft) in height. It is widely cultivated for its attractive and sweetly fragrant flowers. The flowers may be used as a fragrant ingredient in perfumes and jasmine tea. It is the national flower of the Philippines, where it is known as sampaguita,[9] as well as being one of the three national flowers of Indonesia, where it is known as melati putih.
Jasminum sambac (Filipino and Philippine Spanish: sampaguita) was adopted by the Philippines as the national flower on 1 February 1934 via Proclamation No. 652 issued by American Governor-General Frank Murphy.[24][25][26]
Its most widespread modern common name "sampaguita" is derived from the Philippine Spanish sampaguita; from Tagalog sampaga ("jasmine", a direct loanword from the Indian sanskrit word campaka), and the Spanish diminutive suffix -ita.[27][28] It is also by native common names, including kampupot in Tagalog; kulatai, pongso, or kampupot in Kapampangan; manul in the Visayan languages; lumabi or malul in Maguindanao; and hubar or malur in Tausug."
-- Wikipedia
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Images: Clipart Library
