Welcome to "The Splendid Lily". The way I see it - an introduction is a must. I mean, if I am going to invite you to take a journey with me, you'd like to know with whom you're keeping company, right?
My name is Kimberly Joy Bass. One of the meanings of my name is "of or from the royal fortress meadow." So naturally, I am drawn to the idea of flowers as a symbolic representation of life. I am a "meanings" girl. I don't like to take anything, ever, at simply "face value". So as I set out on my newest adventure (read: I have a lot of pent up creative energy in the form of words that are about to spill out all over this blog!) ;-) I of course, wanted a blog name that didn't declare right up front what it was all about. I wanted something that would draw people in. Bait your curiosity. Make you want to dig deeper with me. But in doing so leave you saying, "Ah... yes. That makes perfect sense."
Of course, being somewhat of a "perfectionist in rehab", I wanted this blog to be PERFECT before I even typed my first word. I spent a week making lists of potential names. Having narrowed the field, I researched which blog sites were the best and why. And I willingly and with every bit of OCD in me confess, I spent two hours alone last night looking at templates and trying to pave the way for blogging-perfection. It is often growth for me to finally just take a step and get moving vs. waiting for "perfect".
The perfect time.
The perfect weather.
The perfect color.
The perfect music to play in the background of my creative endeavors.
Sometimes I just have to say to my raging inner perfectionist: "Be gone with you! I'll never get anything done waiting for perfect. I'd rather just be real, and enjoy the adventure that comes with real process in real time in an imperfect way." Cuz thats far more fun, right?
So, here I am. Ready to be imperfect with you. Its the great equalizer amongst us, isn't it?
The original name I had in my heart for this blog, was "Consider the Lily". But bummer. It was taken. (Perhaps while I was waiting around for "perfect" to show up, someone swooped in and snatched it) ;-) Lesson. Learned.
But I was able to snag a variation. And so, "The Splendid Lily" is born.
Why the obsession with lily's, you ask? And why are they splendid? I gave you a little "spoiler alert" up front. Luke 12:27, posted above: Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these...
Here is another version of the verse, that I love equally, if not more: "Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don’t fuss with their appearance—but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?"
Now, you may have seen that in my profile, I am a lover of fashion. It would be easy to jump to the conclusion that my being drawn to this particular bible verse was about that... as it speaks of being "clothed" in a way far more beautiful than a king.
But, as I said earlier. Never just face value for this girl.
It is always about the heart of the matter to me. The heart of the matter of this blog. MY heart... loves that all things in the created world, speak to beauty. Yes. Sometimes we have to squint our eyes and challenge ourselves to see beyond what is up-front (remember my rule about "never just face value"?) We live in a world filled with much pain. True. All that is needed to know this is relationship of any kind outside of yourself: hurting marriages everywhere. Hurting families everywhere. Hurting hearts... everywhere. BUT. Our God is good, and He built in an antidote for this pain. And it is redemptive beyond measure. And it is... (wait for it): BEAUTY.
The good news is? All we have to do is ask Him to show it to us. We can be so distracted in our daily lives, that we forget to "stop and smell the roses" (sorry. another shameless flower reference). But when we cease "toiling"... when we cease "spinning"... it is right there under our noses. Like a field of wildflowers (Lilys). And the even better part? The beauty just IS! It is ours for the noticing. Ours for the taking. We just have to open our eyes and be willing to "look beyond".
In truth, I love that whole portion of Luke Chapter 12:
22-24 Jesus continued this subject with his disciples. “Don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or if the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your inner life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the ravens, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, carefree in the care of God. And you count far more.
25-28 “Has anyone by fussing before the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? If fussing can’t even do that, why fuss at all? Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don’t fuss with their appearance—but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?
29-32 “What I’m trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don’t be afraid of missing out. You’re my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself.
33-34 “Be generous. Give to the poor. Get yourselves a bank that can’t go bankrupt, a bank in heaven far from bankrobbers, safe from embezzlers, a bank you can bank on. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.
Jesus was great at the "never face value" rule. He was also a genius at "spoiler alerts". He says, straight up: Stop Fussing (stressing, toiling, spinning, worrying, striving). There is more going on than meets the eye (don't get so caught up in the business of daily life that you miss the nuances of beauty all around you). Yup, I know its hard sometimes, work... kids... bills... etc., but if I even feed those snarky ravens (crows. morning chirpers who wake you from your peaceful sleep) won't I take care of you too? And by the way, stop hating on yourself when you look in that mirror every morning (you are my beloved work of art). Has all that hating (worrying, preoccupation with self, fretting about image) changed anything for the better? The answer is no. And while you're at it... break out of your neurosis for a moment and think about some of those wildflowers you pass by every day (Lilys. Lilacs. Dandelions.) If you really take the time to notice? THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL. Splendidly beautiful. More beautiful than any king (or any of the stars walking the red carpets of Hollywood or any models on the pages of a magazine or...)
And PS? I am a giver. I love to give! Everything I have (I've got the whole world in my hands) is yours! All you have to do is ask... And to top it all off? What I give you can't be taken away from you. And my interest rates are better than ANY bank out there... If you share your beauty (your story, your pain, your life, your material blessings) with others? I will just give you MORE (compounded interest applies here, but in your favor!).
Oh I love this man, Jesus. I love how He "rolls".
So just to recap: See those wildflowers everywhere? You're far more important and beautiful than they are. And if you are willing to share your beauty with the world? You'll just become more beautiful.
Its a beautiful thing, isn't it?
So, my "Splendid Lily" friends... won't you? Won't you take a moment to stop toiling and spinning and worrying and fussing and doubting and stressing and striving and ... and just breathe? Just be. Just...bloom. Right now. Right where you're planted. No need for perfection. Cuz Jesus? He's got this. He's all about this. And this beauty He offers? Life-beauty (not just "face value" beauty)... its ours for the taking.
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