Happy Flowers...Azalea's and the Dogwood Tree

I was blessed this week to spend a day with my Mom driving around and taking pictures of all of the beauty God is painting here in the flowers and trees. It was a lovely time. Thank you Mama for bringing us home and for sharing a special day viewing the beauty.

Each delicate white or pink blossom of the dogwood has the form of a cross – two long and two short petals. Look closely at a dogwood flower and you will see on the center of the outer edge of each petal there are small holes remindful of nail prints, and the tips of the petals are rusty on one side and brown-red on the other. It is not hard to imagine they represent the spikes that pierced the Hands and Feet of Our Lord on the Cross. And in the center of the flower there is a green cluster that recalls the crown of thorns.

And so the legend of the dogwood was born. This is one common version:

At the time of Our Lord’s Crucifixion, the dogwood used to have the size of the oak and other forest trees. Because the wood was so firm and strong and there were few trees in the Middle East that were very large, it was chosen to be the wood for the crosses used in crucifixions of criminals.

Thus, the wood of the cross that would bear Our Lord and Savior was made from the dogwood tree. To be used thus for such a cruel purpose, however, greatly distressed the tree. Sensing this, the crucified Christ said to it:

“Because of your compassion and pity for My suffering, never again shall the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used as a cross. Henceforth, you shall be slender and bent and twisted and your blossoms shall be in the form of a cross.

“On the outer edge of each petal there will be nail prints, and the center of the flower will resemble the cruel crown of thorns placed on My head, with bright red clusters once again recalling the blood I shed. Thus, all who see this will remember Me.”

When and where the legend first appeared is unknown. But the “how” of its origin is clear. It was a spontaneous reaction of a people who were deeply familiar with the Life, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord, and who saw imprints of it everywhere in nature. It was a profound love of Christ that inspired the legend. Elaine M. Jordan

So...from my front yard and my heart to your front yard and heart...I pray you have a blessed and beautiful day. Love, Amy