Blossoming Melaleuca Thymifolia Reflections
This week we are enjoying the beauty of the Melaleuca Thymifolia plant, which has many varieties that blossom in different colours but it’s mostly found along the east coast of Australia as a purple, lacey, free flowing, blossom. It’s also known at the Honey Myrtle, or the Little Beauty.
What I love about this plant is that it’s possible to engage and delight all the senses, from seeing, smelling, feeling, and even taste. Just as Jesus often used the simple things in nature around Him to give us a deeper, Spiritual lesson and insight, it’s also my prayer, that through these Blossom Blogs each week, that we could see beyond the physical, into the spiritual, and let God speak to us, and reveal even more of Himself through our Spiritual senses as well.
1. See – The Beauty
This vibrant colour and lace of the Melaleuca Thymifolia makes it a decorative table centrepiece. When we are centred in Christ, may we display His beauty as we blossom and bear His fruit for Him and His Kingdom and glory. The same God who created this plant perfectly, also created you and desires to live in and through you. You are created perfectly by God, according to the plans He desires to fulfill through you. And in Christ, through His blood, you are made righteous. Just like this plant, the more deeply rooted we are in the love of Christ, the more secure and beautiful we become, displaying His beauty. We are all precious to God; we are all His ‘Little Beauty’, as this plant is known by.
Psalm 139:13-14 For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
When you look closely at yourself, what do you notice that you can praise God for?
What aspect of God’s character is He calling you to release more of today?
2. Smell – the Crushed Leaves
These small, erect, blueish green leaves emit an attractive, spicy fragrance when crushed which is believed to cleanse and purify the air. It’s amazing how the action of crushing brings about a change in the smell and qualities of a plant. Similarly, as we are oftentimes crushed by life’s events it can change the aroma that we give off and the character we become. It often brings out the true flavour of our heart that can be hidden when everything’s going well. But when trouble strikes, we can often then show our true colours.
When you’re under pressure, what do you bring into the atmosphere? We’re cleansed by the blood of Jesus; in Christ we are His righteousness. How can we emit more of the purity of Christ, bringing a cleansing aroma and filter out the impurities in the atmospheres around us? Is there some impurity that God’s calling you to release from your heart today?
Colossians 2:6-8 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.
3. Feel – the Strength
The Melaleuca Thymifolia tolerates strong winds due to its deep, secure root system. Deeply rooted in Christ, not only can we display His beauty, but we can also rest and be secure in Him and can still stand strong when the storms of life hit and threaten to throw us off our feet. In fact, it’s often during those times that we can really cling to Jesus and dig deeper into Him. I know for me, those times have been my greatest times of growth and strengthening.
How can we grow our roots even deeper in Christ today?
Feel – application
The essential oil extracted from the Melaleuca Thymifolia is used as an antiseptic for cleaning and applying to wounds to kill germs and prevent infection. Again, Spiritually, how are we keeping ourselves free of impurities and corruption that spread quickly and destroy, and keeping ourselves clean and pure? What’s getting in the way of our relationship with Jesus. God tells us in Philippians 4:8-9 how we can keep our hearts clean by thinking on things that are pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy. Proverbs 4:23 tells us that we need to guard our heart for everything we do flows from it.
What have your thoughts been focused on this week? Not only has God made provision for our Physical cleansing and healing through nature, but also our Spiritual cleansing through the blood and life of Jesus, and to live in that purity by choosing what we focus on and what we do.
4. Taste – The Sweetness
The deep, rich, pinkish, fluffy blossom of the Melaleuca Thymifolia reminds me of fairy floss on a stick. One of the special qualities this plant is the sweet, flavoursome flowers which can be sucked upon for a sugar hit, or soaked in fresh water for a sweet, refreshing drink. This is where it gets the name Honey Myrtle. This plant has been popular amongst the indigenous people of Australia for many years.
How is God nourishing you, Spiritually at the moment. What are you feeding upon? What’s your sugar-hit, or go-to? Are we feeding upon the Word of God? Are we being filled and nourished by His Spirit, in His presence? Or are we turning to something else?
Psalm 34:8 NIV Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
This reminds me of the old hymn that says, “Jesus is the sweetest name I know.”
I hope you have a great week this week, delighting in the sweetness of Jesus.
I’d love to hear any of your reflections from the Melaleuca Thymifolia, if you’d like to comment below.
Wendy Ventura
Blossoming In Christ
https://blossoming.com.au/