Deadly poison or lifegiving nourishment?

When I created the Facebook page for this blog I had no idea what pictures I could use to represent the theme of "His Not So Perfect Housewife".  Really, I'm still not sure what would be the best picture to use and may have to create my own. Unless...someone with a more creative gene than I has a great photo that they would like to offer... I'm not opposed to hand-me-downs.

Anyway, I needed something to use and came across a few botanical photos I had collected.  It got me thinking. One of my "not so perfect" hobbies is herbs. (Note: I have come to terms with my love for herbs as a hobby, not a talent or even an all-out, sold-out passion. A hobby. It's OK.  But I digress...)



I love to study and learn about herbs and how to make and use my own herbal remedies. My desire is to grow as many herbs as possible on our little mini homestead so that I can use them for culinary as well as medicinal purposes. I would love to have volumes of great herbal salves, tinctures, teas, and other creations on hand for any ailment or underlying condition that I want to treat. Unfortunately, like many other desires of mine, the reality is that I have done a LOT of research, then retain little of the information read (unless it's for the 100th time).  Even so, what I have been able to do, after many years and much time studying, I have been able to feel more confident in identifying some herbs. Somewhat confident. Some herbs.

Recently, I got my first opportunity to try my hand at identification. We took a family trip to Steamboat Springs, CO last August to visit my step-son.  It was a great trip with amazing weather and gorgeous sites to see.  For me, it also included phenomenal exposure to multiple herbs growing in the wild. Several of these plants may be common in some areas, but in central TX, not so much.

As we drove through the gorgeous country our family would exclaim, "Look! A waterfall!" "Look! A mine!" "Look, a single cloud hanging out at a mountain top." "Look, a beautiful creek! (with green foliage and gorgeous trees and picturesque rocks. Sigh...).   Meanwhile, I was saying, "Look! Mullein!" "Look Plantain!" "Look! Yarrow!" "Look! Chamomile!" and more.   To me, it was a veritable gold mine and I never wanted to leave!  In fact, as I pondered staying in CO, my 11 year old sweet girl stated, "If only they had Target. Then we could move here."  Yes, honey.  Target - and cooler weather - and wild herbs. Sounds great.

What I was pleased to be faced with was my first real opportunity to go "wild harvesting". YAY!  I could collect my own herbs. I could identify them for myself and I could feel oh so competent in what I was doing as I provided health for me and my family. Oh so somewhat competent.

First, I picked lots and lots of Chamomile flowers. I wanted to research them on my phone so that I could be sure that what I was picking up was indeed Chamomile, but in the mountains getting a signal is pretty sketchy. Anyway, I was pretty sure, so I collected lots and lots of flower tops and stuffed my jacket pockets with them.  By the time we arrived back to our condo my allergies were coming on strong. Runny, itchy nose, itchy eyes and throats...yuck. Then, I finally had internet connection so I looked up Chamomile and found out that most likely, the plants I found WERE Chamomile, but not the ROMAN or GERMAN type usually used for tea.  Most likely, what I had foraged and collected was a variation that could still be used for tea, but would not be as beneficial for health and in fact....could cause allergic reactions to some.  To some....like me. Sigh...not so successful.

Next, I picked Mullein. This plant I was quite sure I had identified correctly but I was hesitant to pick much of it because there weren't a lot of stalks around. Even so, collecting them was fun. This is one herb I have used successfully for steams to relieve sinus and chest congestion. On the other hand, I believe it too could stimulate allergic reactions. Hmmm...

Then, I wanted to pick Yarrow. Lots of Yarrow. It was everywhere, like the Chamomile.  Hmmm...the Chamomile.  I was close, so close, in identifying this, but close wasn't good enough. I ended up with hours of strong allergy symptoms. What if I was wrong on the Yarrow?  Do you know what plant is known to be confused with Yarrow if you don't know how to identify it properly? POISON Hemlock!
Yes, POISON! Deadly poison!   So, even though I brought some home to compare to my botanical photos and even though I was 99% sure that it was Yarrow, I didn't keep any.  I couldn't risk being wrong on this one. Would you?

So, I came across the photo of the Poison Hemlock when setting up the Facebook page and thought....hmmm...this deadly poisonous plant can be confused with one that is so healing and good for you, the Yarrow plant. I think there's an analogy there.

  

The first picture is of Poison Hemlock.  It is deadly in small amounts.  The second picture is Yarrow.  Yarrow is a God-given gift in nature for assistance in a number of ailments and even immune building support. Two similar looking plants with vastly different outcomes.

In this analogy, the Yarrow reminds me of God and His Word, the Bible.  God's Word is nourishing and brings health and life. When we go to it regularly it helps us to fight stronger against spiritual attacks, with the help of the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 6:17 the word of God is referred to as the Sword of the Spirit.  It is an important part of the full armor of God.

The Poison Hemlock reminds me of false teachers who may, on appearances, seem to portray the beauty of God's Word, but upon closer inspection we find that what we see and hear are not the same thing. Their word is deceptive.

In order to accurately recognize the nourishing Word of God when surrounded by other competing words, we must study it.  We need to know the details as well as the big picture and then we need to learn how to apply it in our lives. Like Yarrow, in a sense, without learning how to apply it, simply having it in our hands will not provide any benefit.  Also, without careful inspection (and guidance from the Holy Spirit), we may not have clear discernment when false teaching comes our way. Deceptive teaching can come in the form of using words that paint a pretty picture but fall short of bringing true health. A path that can be deadly. 

You're journey, like mine, is most likely is not-so-perfect. But with the help of the Holy Spirit your mistakes will serve to make you stronger in the journey and not dead before arrival. With the Holy Spirit's guidance, you and I will continue to learn how to reap the benefits of God's Word in every nourishing way possible. Choose life giving nourishment and choose to learn how to use it well.

* Upon creating the Facebook page I could only find the picture of the Poison Hemlock. It is the one featured currently. The profile pic will be changing soon.