In last week’s visit to Buxton Heath, I saw the lilies of the valley - a patch of flowers. When I was told they were the lilies of the valley, I was very surprised, not at their outlook of the flowers, but at their existence - there is indeed such thing called lily of the valley in this world!

I learnt about the lily of the valley when I was at the middle school. For a few times a week, in the morning and before the start of the class, there was a gathering in the school. The speakers (sometimes they were the headmistress, the teachers, the reverends or the outside guests) delivered a speech at these gatherings. As my school was a Christian school, usually we would be asked to sing hymns at the start of such gatherings.

Lily of the Valley is the title of one of the familiar hymns I sang so often in the middle school. I always remember the lyrics “He is the lily of the valley, the bright and morning star”.

Christianity has so much influence in my life as I had listened to the Christian preaches for more than ten years, whether in the middle school or in the church. Some Christian teachings have become mottoes of my life, for example, we should not find the sand in people’s eyes but cannot find the stone in our own; we should not judge peoples; today’s worries are enough for today and we should not worry about tomorrow. When I run, I always remember one of the Bible’s saying “run towards the pole (target)”.

Most hymns have very beautiful melodies and meaningful lyrics. The Lily of the Valley is no exception (part of its lyrics are copied below). 

“I have found a friend in Jesus,
he’s everything to me,
he’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul;
the Lily of the Valley, in him alone I see
all I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.
In sorrow he’s my comfort, in trouble he’s my stay,
he tells me every care on him to roll.

He’s the Lily of the Valley,
the bright and Morning Star,
he’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.”

The meaning of this flower is “You will find Happiness.”