The Most Resilient of the Resilient

In September of 2008, Galveston Island was inundated by Hurricane Ike.  Two and one-half feet of salt water (infused with who knows what else) covered our lot.

The following spring, I was amazed at the resiliency of the trees, shrubs, grass, and other plants in our gardens.  I posted photographs on this blog of the blooming things as evidence.

Then, last winter, we had a hard freeze in Galveston.  We had a hard freeze in Lawrence too, where I have been working.  The freeze in Galveston was not kind to the tropical and semi-tropical plants.  When I was in Galveston two months ago, I felt heartsick over the damage the freeze had done to our gardens.

Today, Gay and I pulled into the driveway in Galveston and were greeted by a happy sight.  Several of our  hibiscus plants, which had been cut back, have new growth from around the roots.  And, a duranta is blooming its heart out, as if it is the cheerleader for all the other plants.

I'm amazed at the extent of resiliency of the plants in our gardens.  To paraphrase Jesus, if this is possible with the plant world, who knows what might be possible with human beings, with whom God has a very special relationship?

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
   the moon and the stars that you have established;
⁴ what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
   mortals^* that you care for them?
⁵ Yet you have made them a little lower than God,^*
   and crowned them with glory and honour.
⁶ You have given them dominion over the works of your hands. 

                                                                    -Psalm 8:3-6a

Human beings are the most resilient of the resilient!  Maybe you'd like to be a hibiscus or a duranta.  I'll take my chances as a human being any day.