Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Rebirth

The whoosh of flame warmed our faces as we watched the fire crackle and dance, sweeping across the prairie grasses as quickly as a ballerina in a frenzied ballet.

The vivid oranges and yellows of fire gave way to a desolate blackened landscape. And, as you might remember, the "controlled burn" on our Conservation Reserve Program land ended up out of control.

But, just days later, green emerged from the black - a signal of rebirth.

To fulfill the requirements of the CRP contract, Randy planted a blend called Forbes grasses in the ash. (You can see the ridges made by the drill in the photo below, and the Forbes mix in Randy's hand above.)

Illinois bundleflower ... purple prairie clover ... false sunflower ... Indian blanket ... clasping coneflower: The names just sound beautiful, don't they? (They ought to with a pricetag of $3,492 just for required seed mix!)
Eventually, the green of the CRP grass will be dotted with these "flowers" found in some of our other pastures.
Two years ago, I was in the Flint Hills in April and saw grasses re-emerging from the blackened earth after springtime burns. Burning the prairie to replenish the grasses has been part of the cycle of life since the time when Indians roamed the Great Plains.



And the dance of rebirth continues.Sometimes we have to live through a little "fire" to see God's promise of rebirth on the other side.
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I'm linked today to Jennifer's Getting Down with Jesus: God Bumps and God-Incidences.

8 comments:

  1. BEAUTIFUL - both the photos and the wording!

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    1. Thanks Jent!(You made me hungry yesterday afternoon with your mac and cheese recipe!)

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  2. It is a beautiful thing, watching those grasses go up in flames, and then returning a lush green later. Our neighbors do this every few years, and it's a powerful reminder of rebirth and new growth. A God-Bumps moment, for sure!

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    1. Thanks Jennifer. I love celebrating God's everyday miracles around me every day!

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  3. I meant to say, too, that I'm really delighted that you've linked up to the God-Bumps community. Made me smile. :)

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    1. And thanks for giving me an opportunity to connect with others at the God-Bumps community!

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  4. Love your line- "the dance of rebirth"... that's what life feels like so often. That's what life in Christ is, isn't it? Love these glimpses of Kansas. A "farm girl" myself, I spy beauty even in that dirt!

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    1. Thank you, Alicia! Yes, you're right: I'm so fortunate to have a front-row seat to the splendor of God's creation.

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