Hearts and Flowers

This morning I was thinking of hearts and flowers.  Not of the traditional, it's Valentines so I will give you a heart full of candy and beautiful bouquet of roses, but of passionate loving people and their beautiful contributions.  You know they were there just because of what they left behind-and you don't quite have the heart to get rid of the flowers-everyone is still enjoying them.  It's these very personal touches that grab our attention like a pretty little flower-that's not really "needed" but so appreciated.  Every morning as I go through the glass doors to work, I'm still greeted by the hand-painted flowers left there by an artist therapist.  She's been gone for quite some time and we've had a complete remodel of our facility-but the custodian continues to carefully clean around them and nobody seems to mind.  I think we all agree, they add a personal touch to a lock down facility. 

This week at work, when trying to make sense of the departure of our Queen Bee administrator, I compared her contributions to these painted flowers. Nobody is going to be quick to eradicate her passionate contributions.  She has been the very HEART of our  Early Adolescent Program. She was one of the original creators and continued to shape it through her 14 or so years with it.   Signs of her life are everywhere and just because she will no longer be working on our campus, her presence will continue to be felt and appreciated, just like those painted flowers. In my mind, I called her queen bee, cause she really did call the shots in our program.  An accomplished athlete by nature, I could picture her leading her softball and basketball teams to victory.  I could sense she was a hot head, but that was part of her passion.  Through out her life, I knew she also turned that passion into an intense caring about the welfare of others.  I was often overwhelmed at her acts of personal sacrifice to help a friend or family member in need-above and beyond what a "normal" person would do.  She is dedicated to people. Though flawed, like we all are, I could always tell she loved and cared about the students-deeply.  She gave her all and I'm sure she will continue to make heartfelt, beautiful contributions in her new situation.

This week I've also been listening to Alan Menken's obscure "King David" soundtrack in the car.    It was my way to punctuate my current studies in the Old Testament and I guess I'm not quite ready to move on just yet.  David continues to inspire me-  I just LOVE him.   Though flawed, I so appreciate his passion and his beautiful contributions.   While driving to work, I burst into tears while listening to a powerful song from this musical.  I guess what got to me was hearing the character of David sing about his desire to be forgiven and the peace he felt.  Then the song shifted to the character of young Solomon (like a Vienna boys choir voice) singing:

 I am the blood of Abraham
The seed of an immortal line
Whose life was given to his God
Whose promise to his God is mine
And to this new Jerusalem
Our fathers come at last
The sons of Jacob live again
The glories of our sacred past

(full choir)

Jerusalem, Jerusalem
Though palaces may rise
Within your walls,
Your dust, your stones
Are prize enough
For these contended
Eyes

I guess I cried because I could not only relate to these lyrics, but I lay claim to them as well-they are mine. I also feel that way about so many of the beautiful psalms that David wrote.  As a musician and poet, we have an intimate view of what was going on in David's heart and mind. They were written  with such passion.  I can feel his heart.  I want to have a heart like that.  Most of the successive kings were compared to David- "his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father" (1Kings 11:4). Who doesn't want "clean hands and a pure heart?" But I think the more important question is the one posed in the previous verse, "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?  or who shall stand in his holy place?  He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, who hath not lifted his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully."  (Psalm 24:4).  It kind of puts things into perspective on this fine valentines day.  Makes me want to have a heart like David.  Makes me want to go to the temple to worship and sacrifice.  Makes me want to make passionate, beautiful contributions of hearts and flowers.