Kissing's out of fashion

Kissing’s out of fashion when the gorse is out of bloom.” Just one little snippet of plant lore that went through my mind a couple of weeks ago as I enjoyed the sight of blue sea and golden gorse. Rather ironic, I thought, that the cliffs were displaying such an abundance of gorse at the very time when not only kissing but hugs and handshakes are definitely out of fashion! Smiles are still allowed, thankfully.

 

Of course, all it really means is that gorse flowers can be found all the year round. But at certain times, particularly in the Spring, they also have a sweet scent, a delicate combination of honey and vanilla with a hint of cinnamon. Mind you, if you were to take a sniff, you would probably detect nothing. It’s only the action of the sun and the breeze that wafts the scent to the nose.R

In the Song of Solomon (4:16) we read:

Awake, O north wind,

And come, O south!

Blow upon my garden,

That its spices may flow out.

Let my beloved come to his garden

And eat its pleasant fruits.

Matthew Henry comments on that verse as follows. ‘Graces in the soul are as spices in these gardens, that in them which is valuable and useful. The blessed Spirit, in His work upon the soul, is as the wind. There is the north wind of conviction, and the south wind of comfort…

… Let Christ have the honour of all the garden produces, and let us have the comfort of His acceptance of it. We can invite Him to nothing but what is His own already. Let us then seek to keep separate from the world, as a garden enclosed, and to avoid conformity to it.’

May it indeed be our aim to live to bring joy to our Saviour’s heart!

I often quote a hymn to finish with, but here instead is a piece from ‘The Remembrancer’ by James Smith:

He gives grace to form the character, gifts to be fit for usefulness, wisdom to choose the course, strength to do His will, supplies to complete the design, faith to trust His word, patience to persevere and wait His time, and success to crown our efforts. The result of His doing this is blessing in us. We are a blessing to others, to sinners and to saints. We are a blessing by the spirit we breathe if it is meek, gentle and lovely; by the example we set if it is an imitation of Jesus; a blessing by our prayers for the good of souls and the glory of God, and by our efforts to spread abroad the knowledge of the truth in every place.