Early last winter, Alison planted tulips in our backyard. There was an area of dead space where a sandbox sat for untold years. My yard is very shady and struggles to thrives, so instead of fighting the uphill battle, it became the default planter for our tulip bulbs. After months of cold hibernation, the bulbs are starting to bloom.

For the moment, the view is lovely. Every season has its merits and its beauty, and the pure brilliant white of crystalline snow has given way to the symphony of floral colors. I know, though, that before too long, the flowers will fall to the ground and all that’s left will be green leaves.

All of that work, months of waiting in cold darkness, and the tulip bulb produces a single flower per year. For the rest of its time above the surface, its leaves pull in as much sunlight as it can to produce next year’s flower. In a way, it feels like a waste. 11 and a half months of plainness and anonymity for two weeks of color. What’s the use?

If you want permanent beauty, buy art. Landscapes, flowers, even abstract pieces offer bursts of color that can be enjoyed and interpreted day after day. This is not the role of the tulip. The tulip is to remind us of the magic of creation all around us. The lifecycles in our biosphere that quietly roll on, year after year, without our intervention. If the tulip were in bloom for weeks or even months, it would lose some of its sweetness. The yellows, reds, and pinks would fade into the landscape. The point of the tulip is to savor its richness while it is in full bloom.

The tulip is just one flower. There are countless varieties, each on their cycle, that grow out of the ground, leaf, and flower, before starting the cycle all over again. They bloom at different times throughout the season, offering wave-upon-wave of new growth. They are meant to be appreciated, enjoyed, and savored apart from all other flowers.

Our existence within creation is filled with these little delights, scatted throughout the calendar and seasons. Little reminders of God’s goodness, and the brilliance of His work not only in us, but in the created order. There is a time and season for everything, and we are given the grace of experiencing it all, year after year.