Fallen but Not Forgotten

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The older I get, the more I realize that God reveals Himself in every detail of life, especially through nature. But the depth of what I learn (practically and spiritually) from my encounters with nature always depends on my willingness to truly watch, listen, and learn from our amazing God.

For example, a tree that is relatively common in the area where I grew up and lived for most of my adult life taught me something so precious – and blessed me in the process.

It all started with a late morning walk. The weather was nice, a bit overcast and windy, but warm enough to take my time on my walk and enjoy the countless plants and trees that grace the field surrounding our home.

After I made my daily round, I headed down the graveled driveway to our mailbox before heading inside. But on the way back from the mailbox to our house, I saw an unusual flower nestled in the roots of a Sweetgum tree. It’s a wonder that I even noticed it, but this exotic-looking flower caught my eye, and I headed over to check it out.

As I bent down for a closer look, I was amazed at the beauty of this pale green and yellow, orchid-like flower. It was a blossom I had never seen before, so I took a few pictures of the flower with my phone and conducted a quick online search. The information that popped up made no sense to me.

How could a tulip flower from a Tulip Poplar tree be blooming at the base of a Sweetgum tree?

I wasted no time in contacting my favorite Mississippi wildlife expert for a proper identification and explanation, The Stand’s very own Matthew White. I knew that he would patiently give me the lowdown on this beautiful phenomenon.

For those who might not know, Matthew is not only a prolific writer, but he is also a pastor, a former soldier, and holds a degree in forestry. He is truly a wellspring of knowledge on the plants and trees that grow in our home state of Mississippi. I have relied on that knowledge a lot since we bought a small, renovated farmhouse in the northern corner of our state.

It did not take my friend long to respond to my questions. He agreed that the flower was most probably a blossom from a Tulip Poplar tree. I was still confused because it was nestled in the roots and dead leaves of a Sweetgum tree.

But my resident tree expert reminded me that Tulip Poplars are usually extremely tall. Sure enough, I looked skyward and finally saw one of the majestic poplar trees about 15-20 feet away from the flower.

At this point, I asked if the flower was a newly sprouted tree, but Matthew explained that method is not how these trees propagate. Instead, he suggested that it might just have been blown loose from the tree in some of our recent springtime winds. Sure enough, when I bent down for a closer inspection and moved a few of the dead leaves away, the beautiful, tropical-looking tulip fell right into my hand.

I marveled at how I had lived in this area most of my life without seeing one of these flowers up close. Matthew told me that if I thought the flowers of this tree were amazing, then I should do some research on how they propagate with seed pods that literally fly in the wind like tiny helicopters.

As I thanked Matthew for my morning lessons, I carefully carried the lovely flower inside and placed it in a dish of warm water, so I could hopefully enjoy it for a few more days. I also followed his advice and did some more research on my find.

According to the National Park Service, the Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), also called yellow poplar, tulip poplar, and tulip magnolia, grows fast and tall, often reaching heights of sixty to ninety feet at maturity. And yes, these majestic trees were named for the tulip flower, such as the one I found, even though they are not actually poplars but members of the magnolia family.

An additional dive into www.thespruce.com offered some insight into helicopter seeds, also called samaras, which are not only found on Tulip Poplars but also on several other types of American trees, including multiple varieties of maples and elms.

With all my newly acquired knowledge, I stopped and looked at the flower with a heart of gratitude and amazement. What an incredible blessing God had given me through my accidental encounter with this one tiny piece of His creation – a fallen and dying piece of that creation, if the truth be told.

Stop and think about that fact for a moment.

Everything about my morning walk centered on enjoying the beauty of God’s creation, all the plants and trees that are beginning to bud and grow in this springtime weather – until I accidentally saw this single tulip at the base of a tree. Then, suddenly, it was not new life or budding beauty that God used to minister His message to me. Instead, it was a fallen flower that became the object of my morning lesson from the Master Teacher.

Yet, even though that flower had fallen and was destined to die, God knew exactly where it sat, nestled in the roots of that Sweetgum tree. He had a plan and a purpose for that exotic tulip to accomplish before its beauty completely faded and died, and I was part of that purposeful plan.

That fallen, dying flower reminded me so vividly that I am seen, I am known, and I am dearly loved by God Almighty. And though I sometimes feel as if I have completely fallen in the midst of life’s storms, the truth is, I am never forgotten. Psalm 139:16-18 (NLT) assures me of this fact:

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!

Yes, humans die, “the grass withers,” and flowers such as my beautiful tulip fall, but the other words of Isaiah 40 also promise that despite this temporal, fallen, earthly state of man, “the word of our God endures forever.”

And forever is a long time to enjoy the eternal splendor of God.

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