Ready to Burst like . . . Jewelweed
The Window, July-August 2010

This is a wonderful time of year. School is ending, graduations are being celebrated, and summer has arrived. The Youth Mission Trip is coming! Those wonderful weeks at Silver Lake, or other camps, are not far off. Vacation travels will soon begin. The concerts on the Green will begin, and the beach and the pool beckon.

Maybe you have a stash of books for summer reading. Maybe you have some grilling recipes to try out. Maybe you have a craft project to work on, or a garden to tend.

Sooo...it makes me think of the kind of excitement that just has to burst out. A burst of excitement the way the school door is flung open as the students leave for the summer. A burst of excitement the way a wave curls and crashes. A burst of excitement like a shaken soda can spraying like a fountain.

All of these examples have to build up, though. What I’m really thinking of is excitement that just pops...with no shaking or pushing. Excitement that bursts like jewelweed. Jewelweed grows in damp, shaded areas. It is part of the impatiens family. It has long stems and broad leaves that have a curious translucent appearance. It grows along the edges of our backyard behind the parsonage. One of the great things about jewelweed is that it is a natural cure for poison ivy or stinging nettles. Just crush the stem and rub the juice on the affected area, and the irritation will subside. The OTHER great thing about jewelweed is the seeds. They are in pods. As the seeds mature, the pods begin to dry a bit. When they are ready, the slightest touch or brush of a finger...sometimes just fanning or blowing...will cause the seed pod to pop and fling the seeds into the air. Sometimes it seems like you only have to look at them.

The Mission Trip, Silver Lake, the pool, summer camp, vacation trips...Now that’s excitement ready to burst!

Have a great summer!

Shalom, Scott Morrow