cherry blossoms

My wife, Shirley, and I decided to see the Cherry Blossoms in Washington, D.C. this weekend.  We had never visited the city to see them and so we were excited to join the throngs of people who had a similar ambition.  There must have been a million people milling around the mall and the surrounding tourist attractions.  The cherry trees and blossoms truly were gorgeous.  I was really impressed how well the blossoms were holding onto the trees despite gusty winds that topped 40 m.p.h. at times.  Naturally there were a lot of photo's being taken.  I, myself, snapped one through the branches of a cherry tree with the Washington Monument in the background and was proud of the result.  I decided to take a close look at the cherry blossoms.  They seemed to be clustered in clumps all over the branches.  When you examined a single petal you weren't very impressed.  The petals were about 1/4 inch diameter ovals that seemed slightly pink in color.  You could spot these petals on the ground, on car windshields...even bunched up on the surface of the tidal basin, forced together by wind and waves.  The beauty of the trees didn't come from the individual petal...it came from the millions of petals concentrated on hundreds of trees that were in close proximity with one another.  I thought about all the people around, enjoying the trees.  There were Asians and Africans and Europeans and Mexicans all clustered together.  Unlike the cherry petals, each person was unique and precious, but there was a great energy and beauty in the diversity and numbers of people all around, as well.  Cherry petals and people...  I was reminded that the Lord fashioned beauty in the individual and more beauty in the masses.  I wonder if the Lord enjoys visiting His people like we enjoy visiting the cherry trees.  Like the fragile petals, we blossom for a brief time and then the wind carries us away.   Isaiah 61:11 For as the earth brings forth its bud,  As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.   blessings, Rob Smith