Chamomile

“Like a chamomile bed,
the more it is trodden the more it will spread.”
English Adage

My love affair with chamomile began when I was in middle school, the first herb among many that drew me into the “herban” world. This humble herb is representative of rest, peace, poise, and calm. It can bloom for long periods even while resisting wear from foot traffic.

 Symbolic, too,  of  “energy in adversity,” it is the hallmark of humble perseverance, pluck, or simply putting on a happy face when you definitely don’t feel like it, just as the above English adage suggests. Literally meaning “earth apple,” the suggestion of our humus return to earth from whence we came is a call to humility. It’s me pushing through a splitting headache when I’m tempted to forget about trying to weave my words together and just crawl into bed.

My mom introduced me to chamomile tea when I was a seventh grader dealing with an elusive illness. The staples in my diet included fig newtons, Digel, Mylanta, other sundry medicinal aids, and chamomile tea, all to help promote the calm that chamomile also claimed it could give my digestive ailments.

In like spirit, the Psalmist David wrote about remembering God’s faithfulness in the midst of current conflicts. He starts by recounting the things that anguish his soul, a common pastime for any of us, as we are all wont to rehearse hurts or injuries toward us. Psalm 77 is replete with remedies for the soul that is filled with and troubles:  “But I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds” (Ps.77:10-12). The answer is to remember the good things! Why? Because it establishes your soul when you meditate on “whatever is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Phil. 4:8). The end result is that we find ourselves on the right path. Before, all was confusion; but when we train our spirits to dwell on the delightful, we find a path through. “Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters…You led Your people like a flock.” I love how The Message puts it in verse 15, “You pulled your people out of the worst kind of trouble.”

This example is practically told in novella form in Psalm 78, the historical account of the Israelites in their plight as wilderness wanderers and the wonderful things God performed for them in their desert season. “He made His own people go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock; And He led them on safely, so that they did not fear,” Psalm 78:52-53.

Like the chamomile plant, facing such adversities can cause us to feel trampled down, leaving a depression in our spirit that can choke the life out of us, if we are not diligent to think on His purposes. It’s important to keep in mind that trusting in the Lord does not mean we won’t face heartbreak. He isn’t the author of the brokenness in the world; it wasn’t His intent. But He came to help us find our way through to eternity, where all is made whole and reunited.

While still a teenager, when all was silent and dark, I would quietly tip-toe downstairs to the kitchen to fix up a cup of herbal sleep aid. I would steep chamomile in hot milk to promote relaxation. Honey also contributes to digestive health.

 

Chamomile Tea Latte

Almond or cow milk
Chamomile
Honey
Cinnamon, cloves

  Allow chamomile leaves to steep in hot milk for 10 minutes before stirring in a spoonful of honey; flavor with digestive aids like cinnamon or cloves.