“Seeds of Grace” Saffron

Friday, March 22, 2019

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” Ecclesiastes  3:1

Under all that snow, the tender green shoots of the early spring flowers are ready to brave the elements.  As soil warms to the sun, bright crocus blossoms grace the earth.

And, in addition to the smile they bring to all yearning for the new season, crocus sativus  produces saffron, one of the most precious spices in the world. Each flower yields only three threads (stigmas) of saffron, and it blooms for only one week each year. The saffron is harvested by hand in the early morning, when the flowers are still closed in order to protect the delicate stigmas inside. It takes about 1,000 flowers to produce just one ounce of saffron. A delicately fragrant, and brilliantly coloured, spice it is commonly used in rice dishes such as the classic paella.

It is not a rare thing, even for those with a strong faith, to experience seasons of doubt.  For some, God seems silent, or distant, the Holy One’s purpose for their lives unknown, the path ahead, in shadow.  For others the sense of purpose is indistinct, as life circumstances alter, as personal needs, and dreams, change.  And for others, present challenges, worries and fears,  are simply overwhelming.   “Behold, the birds of the air…see how your heavenly Father feeds them…the lilies of the field, how they grow…” Matthew 28:25-34 God cares for them and loves them, but you are even higher on God’s list!

For Further Reflection: “Just as I am…though tossed about, with many a conflict, many a doubt, fightings and fears within, without, O Lamb of God, I come…I come.” From #615 Common Praise Just As I Am, verse 3, by Charlotte Elliott