Context Matters
Lily pads and lily pads and Lily pads, Oh My
I was privileged to see these lily pads floating peacefully in the water at Claude Monet’s garden in France. I had traveled from across the world hoping to see them. They belong there. They are expected. My trip wouldn’t have felt complete until I saw the famous lily pads that Monet painted.
Years ago, I spent time at a lake closer to home, Jackson Lake. Lily pads grew there, too, but they were not welcome. If they were not managed carefully, they tended to take over the water. Because of this, they were managed with a strong arm, and everyone but the frogs was happy about that.
Same plant. Very different response.
That contrast stays with me. Something can be beautiful and appropriate in one place and unwelcome in another. The context is what matters.
It’s true in our lives too. Think about habits. Preferences. Freedoms. Foods. Even good things can become harmful when they grow in the wrong place or without limits.
“So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.”
Romans 14:22 (NIV)
I love this gentle reminder.
Not everything needs to be judged universally. What works for one person might not work for another, and sometimes it really is between each person and God, no one else. And maybe what you allowed in one season of your life doesn’t belong in it now.
Some lily pads are honored. Some are fought strenuously. Neither response is wrong. But each is right for its setting.
What in your life needs less judgment and more consideration right now? What belongs where it is, and what needs clearer boundaries?
From my heart to yours,
Kelly