Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Lord, is it possible

that the hibiscus knows

how beautiful it is?

Does it know how

artfully You dress it

with soft, pale pink petals,

veined with white lace,

this demure bride-to-be

who flutters about and hides

in shadows so as not to be seen

before her wedding day?

Does the hibiscus know

that the dew it collects

each morning, the tears

that it lets fall back

to the earth are precious,

enriching and giving life

and sustenance to the soil below?

Does the hibiscus know?

Does the spider who spins

her web, and threads the story

of her life around stems and leaves—

does she know?

Does the child know—

the girl who lingers,

who stays back even though

her mother and brothers

continue on their walk

without her—

does she know, this girl

who pauses for a moment

to smile at the beauty

of both flower and web

and the play of shadows,

flickering in the noonday sun—

does she know?

Does the hibiscus know?

Does the spider know?

Does the child know?

Do any of us really know, Lord?

That we are fearfully

and wonderfully made?

Amen.

Psalm 139:14

Psalm 89:5