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Anniversaries can be wonderful things. They remind you of weddings, engagements, special victories or any number of significant events that happen in the course of life. One type of anniversary is rather difficult to face. That is the anniversary of a loved ones' passing. Just two years ago my mom died of a heart attack. It was unexpected and painful. One learns to deal with the pain and move on. I guess it is the only thing we can really do... For years as a pastor, people have shared with me the challenge of moving through the grief of death. One thing that I have learned is that there are a multitude of ways to process this part of life. For me, one of the things that I did was purchase a plant that my mom loved. It is a hybiscus. In fact, I even call it, "Granny Gert's Plant." Ok, ok, kind of corny, but we are talking about how you deal with grief! My brother in Decatur did the same. The plant is a nice reminder of Granny Gert's love for this particular flower. Two years ago my brother came out to visit for a few days. He brought his wife and my sister. When they returned to Decatur there was an early bloom on the Hibiscus. We joked that it was a sign of Mom's happiness that her kids got together for a few days. Now, back to my plant. The first year it sat out on the deck and had plenty of pink flowers all summer. I brought it into the basement for the winter and promptly forgot to water it. Through the winter its leaves faded and dropped off. By the time spring rolled around this year, the plant looked dead. Rather than throw it out, I set it back on the deck and began watering. Sure enough, leaves started sprouting. By the end of the summer it was full of leaves....but not the first flower. Yesterday was my sister's birthday. Guess what was blooming in our house? Coinsidence? Probably. When I called my sister last night I told her that mom had sent a flower on her birthday. And most likely, it wasn't our mom that arranged this. My faith-filled guess is that our heavenly Father sent a little reminder of His love even on sad days.  Not the best picture, but a wonderful reminder. |
