The Spear Thistles and Day Lilies

First a thought about God from Micah who lived at the time of Isaiah: He says ‘ the LORD shall be a light to me.’

I asked how? I then read what David said: ‘ Through Your precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet, and light to my path…I will keep Your righteous judgements.’

Here David sees this as a deliberate covenant with God. Obedience is not a burdensome chore, but a deliberate commitment. David knows that the wicked lay traps – the danger of compromise exists BUT the psalmist relies on God’s word.

What are these judgements. They are verdicts, rules and decisions regarding right and wrong. Decrees, statutes, ordinances, ultimately all God’s law, instruction, ten commandments given on Sinai.

Exodus 20:20

And Moses said to the people, ‘Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that you do not sin.’

The first use of fear is servile fear. The dread of punishment that causes people to run and hide from God. The second use of fear is awe and profound respect for God’s majesty. It is the healthy reverent fear that draws a person closer to God and serves as a moral compass to keep us from sinning.

Our love for God through the forgiveness of sin given to us by Jesus keeps us in relationship with God through the kind voice of the Holy Spirit. We will comfortably say ‘ Our Father who lives in heaven… ‘ The same Father who stood on Sinai with Moses.

We have returned to our home and the garden with so much to see and enjoy.

Three day lily stems and a number of spear thistles stems all in a vase the shape of the thistle involucre (a ring or whorl of leaf- like structures clustered at the base of a flower).

This morning I knew I had to cut these thistles. The plant is a biennial, so if these seeds were left now in 2026 I may if not careful, have a garden filled with thistle in 2028. Here the involucre is already bursting to release the thistle down a soft fly away down carrying seed.

The thistle has needle – like spines, hairy winged stems, with leaves that are rough on the upper surface and with a wooly greyish underside. The flowers are pinkish purple. It is also known as the Bull thistle.

Here is a fine story: This possibly happened in 1236 during the Battle of Largs. The battle which marked the beginning of the departure of King Haakon IV of Norway from Scotland. According to historical folklore, an invading Norse army was attempting to sneak upon a Scottish encampment at night. A barefoot Norseman stepped on a spiny spear thistle and cried out in pain. His cries alerted the Scottish army to the incoming attack.

And so out of gratitude to this plant the thistle was adopted as a symbol of Scotland’s fierce defence and resilience.

This thistle was first used on silver coins issued under King James II in 1474. The sixpence was issued in 1536 under King James V, it showed a crowned thistle. Thistle continued to appear regularly on Scottish and later British coinage until 2008 when the 5p coin ceased to be minted but is still in circulation.

The day lily plants are at there best in spite of their leaves scorched by the heat. I am pleased to see them this year. An unusual combination in a vase but representative of the garden as each area has its weeds and flowers.

Two thoughts using the word represent:

‘ The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.’

Aristotle

And

‘ Placing on writers the responsibility to represent a culture is an onerous burden.’

Amy Tan

I am so pleased to be back in the garden.

Take care,

Sandy 🙂