Pineapple's and Butterflies

When I was 13 or 14 I sat on a bench in Meeting looking out the window wondering if there was a God.  Out the window I could see a purple Iris with a drop of dew on it with the light glinting in the drop to show a rainbow.  I started to think about how light refracts, about how water evaporates and then becomes clouds which become rain returning to nurish plant life.  I thought about how bees help plants reproduce, and I felt overwhelmed by the perfection of creation, and in that moment I knew there is indeed a Creator.  I have also since then not seen a purple Iris without knowing that there is God (One of the reasons I carried them at my wedding.)

It use to annoy me that people said " God bless you" when everyone sneezes.  I thought of it as a foolish superstition going back to old beliefs that when we sneeze the devil can enter our body.  But I decided one day:  "What if I just take the words literally, as God blessing me.  So sneezes have also become a reminder for me of the presense of God.

In an event that happened so long ago I no longer remember all the details, I was having a very spritual moment and a butterfly landed on me, and then flew off almost leading me somewhere.  After that event I have chosen since butterflys do not come by that often, to let them also remind me of the presense of the Holy One.  These three signs have seemed like the right number.

Photo: Fay Anderson

                                                              
But on Sunday pineapples took on a new meaning for me - no not about the presence of the Divine, but rather the absence.  In our Meeting we have a tradition of someone bringing flowers which sit in their vase on a small side table in front of the picture windows looking out on the 2nd growth 100 year old woods.  Some times if the person designated to bring flowers forgets, we have a vase on a back table with a couple of small branches of a tree that have small origami paper peace crane's dangling from them.  We bring that vase forward.  On this Sunday our Meeting was full of visitors come for Yearly Meeting Coordinating committee, and it appeared someone had forgotten the flowers.

I sat for a long time debating in my head whether I should get the vase of paper cranes or if someone was just late.  Eventually the children left and I realized that I had been worrying about this for 10 minutes!  I thought:  "this is ridiculous...either go get the vase or let this go."   I decided that it would be a good spiritual practice of detachment if I would let it go.  So I let it go.  And the very next minute in came a Friend carrying a pineapple and three small votive candles which she with difficulty lit in front of the pineapple.

It occurred to me that the next time I saw pineapple it would be a reminder to check how I was doing on releasing the things that keep me from worshiping My Creator.  What things serve for you as reminders of the presence of God?