Bill Stark on 'Daylily Life'

With everything now in bloom, one of the most beautiful and mysterious plants we have to behold is the daylily.
The word daylily means “day” and “beauty”, reminding us that the each bloom is but for one day.
The idea of a beautiful flower only having one short day to shine and then being replaced the next day with another Purple Daylilybloom is an idea that points us to both death and renewal.

Daylily Death

The daily death of the daylily reminds me of a principle in scripture where we are asked to “die daily” to our old patterns of thinking and acting….to die to, or “give up” the “old person” we were before we came to know God through faith in Christ.
Galatians 5:24: And they that are Christ’s have crucified (died to) the flesh with the affections and lusts. (emphasis added)
John 12:24: Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Dying daily essentially means that each day I am to think less and less of my plans and ideas and more and more of what God may want. For example, I was writing a really important letter recently and after re-doing it several times I showed it to my wife for her input. I then studied it some more and rewrote it a few more times…..but I never stopped to ask God to nudge me, prompt me, give me clarity or give me His perspective about the letter. The “old” me would be too prideful to ask for input – from my wife or God!
This, for me, is dying daily. Moment by moment surrendering my ideas and seeking His mind. He may have something to say about my important letter – if it’s important to me, it’s likely very important to Him also.

Daylily Rebirth and Grace

While our spirits as believers are sealed, perfect and “heaven-ready”, our souls are to be “renewed” as Paul reminds us in the Bible.
Romans 12:2 (NIV) says: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (bold added)
The rebirth of a new daylily bloom the next morning reminds me of God’s magnificant grace. Although we had bumps along the way yesterday, God still allows us to “come alive again” with a new day and start over in His presence.
Let this be our daylily prayer:

that we would bloom each day and be the fullest version of our God-given self,
that we ask God to help us die daily to our old patterns and
that we rejoice and give God thanks for a daily re-birth full of new opportunities.

Go and bloom today – die to self – bloom to Him…bloom for Him and if you do, I can assure you that, your beauty will be seen by others and they will marvel at your colors and radiance. They may even ask you why you shine so brightly. If they do, you can tell them you are one of God’s daylilies just doing your thing.
Bill Stark is a Greenville, Mississippi native who graduated from Ole Miss in 1983 with a BA degree in Journalism. Bill married his college sweetheart, Starwyn Strickland, of Brazil, Mississippi, and they have three children, including twins Mary Catherine and Ellen and son Will. He currently resides in Alpharetta, Georgia. Email Bill Stark at bill.stark@cloudwalk.org