Toadshade Trifecta

2 Corinthians 13:14
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Trillium: a plant with a solitary three-petaled flower above a whorl of three leaves.

In March as Tim, Rosie, and I trekked through the woods, I kept my eyes open for the first trillium—a sure sign of spring. The toadshade variety is common in Ohio. (I have to chuckle as I picture a little toad hidden under the leaves in the umbrella like shade.) 

I spied one. It reminded me of the new life we experience in spring.

As I gazed at the forest plant, The “tri” in trillium reminded me of the trinity. The three petals and the three leaves brought to mind the Father God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. God, who created life, loves me with all his heart. Jesus Christ gave his life. He lived on earth, even though he knew his life would be cut short, and people would hate him, and eventually nail him to the cross. His love overcame death and reunited humans with God. The Holy Spirit lives with me in my life. He connects me to my Father God through prayers and prompts. His love guides me on my daily walk.

As I squatted down to photograph the trillium, it hit me how so much of the nature our God created reminds me of his power and the hope I have in Jesus. I rarely take a walk that I don’t experience the Holy Spirit urging me to pray. In God’s majesty, I draw closer to him.

2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 

Freedom to hope, freedom to love, freedom to live a life in fellowship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

I'm Glad I Paid Attention

Toadshade trillium sprinkle the forest floor. 

It's more common in Ohio's woods and visible in the spring. 

On our hikes we'd seen several of them. 

One day I read a post about the trillium flexipes and it's presense in Ohio parks, 

but I'd never seen one, until this week.

Tim and I walked along the trail, 

and as usual I was on the lookout for new spring plants.

If I hadn't been paying attention, I would have missed this beauty. 

A foot from the gravel path, in the grass, the trillium flexipes nodded at me. 

What a pleasant surprise. 

When I pay attention, God often surprises me with joy. 

Trillium flexipes

Toadshade Trillium

God's Incredible Creation

We'd walked around the park's path a couple of times. Wanting to reach the two mile mark, we needed more steps. Across from the play area, a hiking trail wound up the hill. Other than a bit of mud, we enjoyed trekking along the small rise. As we tromped the path, we listened to the river rush and the birds sing.

As with any hike in the woods, I'm always searching for flowers and plants, particularly in the spring. I thought I'd missed discovering one of my favorite wildflowers. We hadn't visited the park where I usually see them. As we hiked along, I watched the floor of the woods. Along the edge, I spied not one, but many of the wildflowers I had hoped to see.

White Nodding Trillium

Red Trillium

Several red trillium squatted together along the edge of the woods. Only one white nodding trillium rested among them. Being a bit of a nerd, my excitement rose and I felt blessed to see these beauties of spring.

Anytime I am in the woods, I am recharged by God's incredible creation. His artwork revives my soul and increases my hope. If you can, visit a wooded area and take in God's beauty. Or step outside and listen to the birds' songs. Refresh your soul through his creation.

A little trivia—Ohio's official wildflower is the white trillium.

Haiku #5