Meditation on Mint

This afternoon, while nursing a cold at home by sticking to non-stressful chores, I took advantage of a warm afternoon and finally raked up the last of the sycamore leaves left from the tail-end of fall. One significantly large mound was by our back gate, where there is also a bed of peppermint planted. As I combed the rake over the pile and moved them towards the leaf bag, I detected a wonderful scent coming from the area of the mint. After identifying what sort of scent it was, and thinking about it for a moment, it occurred to me that the mint, being so agitated and disturbed by my rake, was in turn, wafting a pleasant smell. Out of its disturbance, so to speak, it was creating an appealing sensation.

It made me wonder, how do we (as humans) respond to agitating times, occurrences and situations? The bed of mint, unable to make any autonomous headway against my blundering, scraping rake, responded (according to its created purposes, of course) by emitting a smell that carried with it a beauty; a pleasant scent that was a praise of sorts to its creator. We carry at least one large commonality with the lowly mint: we are both fully created beings. All too often ignoring our created status, we choose–yes, choose–to complain, begrudge, and rail against adversity, simple agitation, and disturbing people and times. Unfortunately, unlike the mint, we usually forget that we have little or no autonomous control over our circumstances, both agitating or not. We do, however, have complete control over our response to those circumstances. Will we lift up our hands in acquiescence to our situations, and instead of complaining, emit a sweet-smelling sacrifice of praise to our Creator?

If the mint can do it, than surely we can do the same.