When I taught 1st grade, I’d say to my kids on days that I was feeling a little less patient than usual that I was “feeling like a crab apple” so they shouldn’t infer anything personally if I seemed short-tempered. I’m not sure how that simile came to be, but a tree like this can only inspire a good mood.

Look how fancy pantsy this tree is! It’s in the front yard of my mom’s house. Granted, this is one of those trees that blooms quickly with delicate flowers that get blown away with the next stiff breeze or light rain shower but it is magnificent as it lasts. Last Saturday, my mom and I sat outside with her dog, Sophie, soaking up some rays since the weather was absolutely gorgeous. We were sitting near the front bird feeders so we made many red-wing black birds angry for blocking their drive-through restaurant but we had plenty of chickadees, house finches, cardinals, and goldfinches coming close to grab some grub. We even had a great blue heron fly overhead and a flicker rooting around the southern part of the lawn as we settled deeper between the wooden slats of the bench.

We decided to take some pictures of the Japanese Crab Apple tree while it was at its height of elegance (as we always aim to do each year) before the next spring weather shake-up blew through. Its transient beauty is part of what makes it so special – something to look forward to appreciating however briefly. It draws you to stand there and look however long you can in a few moments of meditation before you realize you are staring at a tree – taking a “paws to pray”, if you will.

How can I say that was a “paws to pray” if I didn’t actually have a mental conversation with God? Because the appreciation of nature is a praise to God. Taking time to notice it, to absorb its balanced energy, to share it with others – is a type of prayer. Look at the close-up picture below of the petals and leaves and see how an artist created that. It was made for us to enjoy and take part in the interconnections between living things (as the single bee going flower to flower proved).

Springtime in the Midwest is a great time to re-energize as new life abounds through not only the Resurrection of Jesus celebrated on Easter Sunday but as the Earth is painted bright again by the power of the life through God.