Recently, my daughter received a bouquet of daylilies from her boyfriend. One day, she came inside and mentioned they had a strange smell. Curious, she moved them into my sunroom—a cozy little space with a breakfast table where we eat, study, and sometimes call “my office away from the office,” if you know what I mean. One morning, I overheard my husband commenting that the flowers smelled like a dirty diaper. (Yes, you read that right!) He joked that it reminded him of one of the grandchildren’s dirty diapers lying around.
Intrigued—and a bit skeptical—I went to check on the lilies. They did have an odd odor, but they looked beautiful with their pure white petals.
Concerned, I called my daughter and suggested she move the flowers somewhere else. I also mentioned that she could research the internet and find a way to remove whatever was causing the smell, but she decided to place the lilies on our front porch.
Weeks later, I was surprised to find the lilies still sitting there in a glass vase, looking stunning—even after some freezing temperatures. After all my other outdoor plants had either been brought inside or sadly died from the frost. Being the curious person I am, I decided to investigate how these lilies were surviving such harsh conditions.
What I learned was fascinating: daylilies are remarkably resilient. They can withstand temperatures as low as -25°F (-32°C). Their secret? During extreme cold, their visible growth dies back, but the undeveloped crown and fibrous roots deep underground remain protected, ready to regrow when conditions improve.
This natural survival strategy got me thinking on a deeper, spiritual level. Like the daylily, there are seasons in our lives when we must “die back” to our usual routines and trust that we will endure the hardships of the moment. What sustains us through these times is our foundation—our faith in Jesus Christ.
The Bible speaks beautifully to this in Colossians 2:6-7:
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
We are called to be like the lily—rooted and built up in Christ. This foundation is what establishes us firmly through every season.
Jesus also teaches about the lilies in Matthew 6:28-29:
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
The lilies don’t labor or worry, yet they flourish beautifully. Likewise, even in our valleys or seasons of waiting, we are called to remain rooted in faith, trusting that God sustains us and that we will bloom in His perfect timing.
So, next time you see a daylily—or any flower thriving against the odds—remember that resilience and beauty often come from trusting the process and staying deeply rooted, both in nature and in faith.
