The Lily of the Valley

Now that Easter is past I can admit it, I hate lilies.

 (Photo credit: HarryCjr)

Actually, I don't hate them, I think they are beautiful flowers.  I love the way
Easter lilies stand so tall and graceful.  I love their beautiful arching petals.  I especially love Star-gazer lilies.  These have such a beautiful red color, they are by far my favorite lily.  For sheer sentimentality sake, I love day lilies that remind me of the orange flowers that surrounded my mother's patio and bloomed with great vigor each spring and summer.

What I hate about lilies, however, is the pollen they produce.  When I see lilies in a store I immediately either cover my nose and mouth as I pass by, or seek a route whereby I can bypass the flowers.  Otherwise I will end up with a stuffy nose, itchy eyes and in the very near future, a terrible migraine.

I did not know I was allergic to lilies until my father died and the girls I worked with sent us a beautiful Easter lily.  It was extremely fragrant and had to be relegated to a far area of the house.  When I realized it was the source of my upper respiratory problems and migraine, it was sent outside.  I began to notice after that even the slightest exposure to lilies had a dramatic effect.

There is one Lily however, to which I have no allergy.  It is THE Lily of the Valley.

"I am the Rose of Sharon, and the Lily of the valleys," Song of Solomon 2:1

How wonderful that the very first lily I can embrace without discomfort and fear will be The Lily of the Valley, the One who has created all other lilies.  I think I am very happy to wait for Him.