Come Tiptoe Through the Tulips with Me
The annual Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival just concluded. During the months of March and April, rows and rows of tulips and daffodils colorfully decorate approximately 40 acres near our home. People travel from all over to take in the beauty, fragrance, and breathtaking panorama of color. It’s a cheerful reminder that spring has finally arrived in the Pacific NW. Come Tiptoe Through the Tulips with Me.
Come Tiptoe Through the Tulips with Me
The song, Tiptoe Through the Tulips, was popularized by Tiny Tim in 1968. Oddly enough, the song’s title has become somewhat symbolic of my journey with Steve.
When we married over forty years ago, life looked like a field of flowers. The future seemed beautiful, inviting, and full of possibilities.
But then chronic illness entered the picture. Hopes and expectations got harder to navigate. Instead of recklessly running through the tulips, we began to tiptoe. Life slowed down. Health became an unwanted focus. We found ourselves carefully trying not to crush what was fragile and beautiful around us.
Learning to Tiptoe Through Life
Why do we tiptoe? Because we want to avoid pain. We fear that one wrong step will bring disruption, disappointment, or another difficult day.
A field of tulips sounds peaceful and Idyllic. Chronic illness is not. In many ways, tiptoeing through a minefield may be a more accurate description of our journey.
When chronic illness becomes part of your life, you learn to tread carefully. Anything sudden, unexpected, or out of the ordinary, can trigger a migraine. Plans are tentative. Energy is limited. Life becomes unpredictable. Come Tiptoe Through the Tulips with Me.
Living on the Edge of Disruption
With chronic pain, the unexpected becomes normal. Planning feels impossible. Forget regular schedules and neatly ordered days. You live on high alert, wondering if the moment you truly need to function well, will be the very moment pain and disruption collide.
Disappointment and frustration inevitably follow. Over time, instead of beautiful, stately tulips, you notice toppled flowers—trampled by circumstances beyond your control.
And yet… even here… God walks with us.
Lord, please Tiptoe Through the Tulips with us.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, when our expectations and reality don’t align, we get upset, discouraged, and unsteady. Help us navigate these challenges with wisdom and grace. Teach us to enjoy the life You have given us–even when it looks different than we hoped. And may we honor You in the process. Amen.
Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16 CSB
Questions to Consider
- What challenges in life are causing you to tiptoe?
- Where do you turn when expectations don’t meet your reality?
- How have you experienced God walking with you during difficult seasons?
karla
Thank you Maria!
Maria Whitrock
Thanks for reading my faithful friend!
Julie Johnson
Your posts are valuable beyond measure. They are real and authentic, and they demonstrate trust in the God we follow. He has a purpose for our suffering that will lead to his glory and our good. You, my friend, model the strength He provides to those who are willing to trust and obey him. Thank you.
Maria Whitrock
Thanks Julie! Your encouragement means a lot.