Flower petals can still have some form of longevity even after they have fallen off their stem, such as through being part of a dried pot pourri or a scented drawer sachet and yet there is a limit to their life. However, the essence of the flower, from which the petals fell, lives on through its seed being planted and a new flower appearing. Similarly, our essence, that is, our spirit lives on. Don't we feel the same as we did all those years ago? So, the reminder again is "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day" (2 Corinthians 4:16). Let's expect that every day.
