All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals another, birds another and fish another. There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another, and star differs from star in splendor (1 Corinthians 15:39-41).

Once upon a time I was shopping in a big box store when I saw packages of wildflower seeds for sale.  As it happens, I have an area in my backyard–90%ish–that is somewhat unkempt. I try occasionally to kemp it, but to no avail. Seeing this package, I imagined my barren wasteland transformed into a wildflower oasis, complete with singing songbirds and fluttering butterflies. I bought the seed, took it home, and began to scatter it liberally, as the directions directed. Looking at the seeds in my hand, I was decidedly underwhelmed. These were dry, shriveled, crusty little things that looked more like store-brand granola than the embryos of a wildflower oasis. I sowed them anyway, hit the area with the hose for a bit, and promptly forgot about them.

Until…

A few weeks later…

I had wildflowers.

Beautiful wildflowers

They varied widely in color and form, and they looked absolutely nothing like granola.

So much splendor, so much beauty, so much life from what had appeared to be dead. I couldn’t tell you what seeds had turned into what flowers, because they looked nothing alike. 

Beloved, these seeds we inhabit may be looking dry and withered and like store-brand granola, but…

Yeah, but.

Happy Thursday.