It is tulip time in Woodland. Benno Dobbe and his family put on a tulip festival each year at the Holland America Bulb Farms. The striking beauty of those flowers put me in a reflective mood.
The Reflector ran a bio-piece on Benno Dobbe a couple years back detailing his move here from Holland as a young boy. These days Mr. Dobbe is a prominent figure in Woodland and his business is a cornerstone of the community. All I remember about the piece is that it was interesting and that Benno has genuine Dutch roots.
When you stroll down the rows of tulips, basking in their glory, it is easy to forget how much work truly goes into getting their fragile petals in full bloom. I found myself pondering how impressive it was that these flowers have such vivid colors and come in so many varieties. For a moment I even slipped into thinking "I can't believe all this happens in nature". Then I corrected myself. It wasn't without work and trials. I had the opportunity to read The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas awhile back, and I was surprised by this window into Dutch history. The cultivation, research, and old-time politics needed to develop the existing breeds of tulips is jaw dropping.
Stretching past the tulip's deep historic roots into present day, I witnessed firsthand some of the blood, sweat, and tears that goes into this plant's survival. A couple years ago my company ran a food booth at the tulip festival and it stressed me out to see some of the "backstage" posturing involved with producing a successful crop of cut tulips. Not least of which is the wildly unpredictable weather in April. When we were there it was 80 degrees one weekend and another weekend they had the sonic cannon out to break up hail while it was still in the clouds (a hailstorm can wipe out an entire crop, each crystalline lump leaving a blemish on the soft blooms). In the gospel according to Matthew chapter 6, Jesus instructs us to "Consider the lilies of the field" and he reminds us that they "neither toil, nor spin". Well, those lazy lilies might not toil or spin but tulips on the other-hand are real workhorses.
I am struggling to find a moral to my story. I think I wanted to say something about the Protestant work ethic or being good stewards of our blessings, or maybe that we should stop and smell the roses (err.. Tulips). Perhaps we shall leave it open like a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book from when I was a kid...
p.s. for some ukelele fun and insight into the title of this post watch this video
- Posted from my iPhone
I am busting up laughing over "those lazy lillies...." I don't think the tulips do much work either, it's the farmers! Maybe we don't have to do much work because God is doing it all behind the scenes. They really use a sonic cannon to break up the hail? how does that work?
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