Pansies in bloom. Really, in the garden right outside our front door Snow cover in December, some mild temperatures, and melting led to this glorious beginning of 2011. There are more plump buds ready to open if the weather cooperates, but even if it doesn’t, it’s a wonderful harbinger of spring. The snapdragons also sport brand-new leaves at the base of their stalks.
We received a dozen and one-half long-stemmed red roses for Christmas from our niece and her family. These fresh flowers were a wonderful present, an extravagant one, representative of the extravagant love of our God. We decorate with artificial Christmas trees and greens, and it was delightful to have something so fresh and beautiful in the house.
This meaningful gift also reminded me of a quote by J. M. Barrie, “God gave us memories so that we might have roses in December.” I’m an only child. My mother passed away in 2007, followed by my father whose death was the day after Christmas in 2008. It has been hard to face Christmas since then. It has been a struggle to develop new ways of celebrating to fill my heart with the joy of the Christ child’s arrival rather than the grief of my loss.
For the first time, my husband and I stayed home this year, decorated the house for an “Old Fashioned Christmas,” went to Christmas Eve service at our church, and hosted Christmas dinner. It wasn’t the same as before, but it was nice. The timing was right. My healing has progressed enough that my memories didn’t overwhelm me but provided comfort. They were as sweet as the scent of red roses, roses that found their way to our house through a niece and her family...who had heard the whisper of God.
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