Fire lily

I’d never heard of a fire lily until recently watching the BBC’s ‘Green Planet’, which featured these unique lilies in Australia, which only flower after a wildfire. The episode showed dramatic footage of a big wildfire in Australia which consumed everything in its path and left a charred, desolate landscape. You would instinctively think that the fire was a disaster – which is sometimes the case when fires kill wildlife, destroy homes and even cause loss of life - but it is essential for the natural ecosystem to flourish. The film crew were shown walking across the blackened landscape a few days after the fire had burnt everything before finding what they were looking for – first one beautiful lily in flower, then another, followed by many which looked so beautiful against the ash covered background. The amazing thing was that the lilies had lain dormant since the last wildfire 15 years ago, but the fire passing over had triggered them to germinate and grow freely without any competition.

Sometimes in life we experience the equivalent of a wildfire – perhaps a relationship break up, ill health or loss of a loved one, losing our job or home. While such situations are tough and painful, if we trust resolutely in the Lord he can and will bless us in spite of the difficulties. Perhaps the blessing wouldn’t have happened without the challenging circumstances, in the same way that fire lilies only grow and flower after a wildfire has burnt everything and cleared the way for them to display their beauty when everything else has been removed.
​
The other remarkable sight is that not long after such a fire all sorts of vegetation and plants will begin to grow again, soon covering the countryside with fresh growth after all the debris has been removed. Let’s look to the Lord to refresh and restore, whatever we have gone through or are facing.

---

David Sillett

​​
​Return to Home page - Nature blog