Watering the Daylillies

Late yesterday afternoon I went to the cemetery to water the daylillies we'd just planted the day before. Its been two years since Anthony passed away. Last year, the family celebrated his life by having a butterfly release. But, because of the cornavirus, we couldn't even meet together as a family. That made me sad. Even though we were divorced, I am closer to his family than my own. In one of our many talks during his illness, Anthony and I talked about this very thing, and how death can bring healing, on many levels. But that is another blog for another day.

Knowing that we couldn't get together this year, I got everyone daylillies. Seemed much more practical, since they return annually. On the way to make my first delivery,right after picking up the plants, the song, "(I'm Going) Home" by Chris Tomlin came on the radio. We played this at the funeral, so of course, it just made me chuckle when it started. Since I couldn't just deliver any more right away, I came home, sorted and watered. The next day, on my next run, the song started again. Can you make a guess which song started on the third delivery? I'll give you a minute to think....ding,ding...you guessed it.

Okay, I get it, he's in Heaven! There was never a doubt in my mind. (Also, another blog, another day....and its a good one.) But did it have to be that song? I always start crying as soon as the chorus starts, which is not good while I'm driving. It could have been "I Can Only Imagine", nope, nevermind. How about "God Gave Me You", oh who am I kidding? Wait I've got it "Baby Shark" would have worked. Needless to say hearing this song all weekend kinda put me in an Eeyore mood. So when I went to water the flowers yesterday, the storm clouds I could see in the distance reflected my spirit. Here I was watering flowers, watching the clouds get thicker and darker, thinking how crazy it was to be watering flowers with a huge storm coming. But I kept on. When I returned home, my daughter showed me on the radar that the red section the would be right over us in about 15 minutes.

Then I got the strangest text message. It was from the man who helped me install a dishwasher and water purifier several months back. He was just checking to see if everything was still working okay. Wow! What a wonderful gesture. Not 30 minutes before I had to block out the fear that had started to creep in again when I sometimes think of Anthony being gone. And then God allows a friend to check-in on me. I say friend because this man has two sisters. One worked with Anthony and was a dear friend, and the other is a business woman in town and has been a dear friend to our family for years.

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. -Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

God knew that I needed to receive that text at that exact moment, to pull me out of the quagmire I was getting closer to falling into. I just sat there for a moment in stunned silence, after I thanked him for being so considerate. I wondered if he really knew how much that simple act of sending a twelve second text, meant to me. No, he had no idea. And still doesn't. Just like I have no idea of the small actions, words or gestures, grand or unassuming, that I may have done that have had an impact on someone. Thinking about that instantly brings a smile to your face, thinking that you could have been the reason someone took a chance and went out with the person they ended up marrying, or choose their career path in the military because of your influence, or came to know Jesus because of your living example. But what if your actions don't match your talk, if you don't walk the walk? What if someone turns away from Jesus because they may see your bible scripture plaques at work, and see you pray before you eat, but they also hear you talk about others during lunch, and maybe even are stunned by the choice of words you use on a daily basis. What if its not even that obvious? But maybe hear you making excuses not to attend church every week, or not to give a tithe.

Can we really be God's hands and feet if we are playing a Vegas shell game, instead of using our hands and feet to serve? Serving Him does not mean we all have to prepare communion every Sunday, or all sign up for Wednesday night meal before bible study, or even be on the ministry/visitation team. We can minister to and serve God's people everywhere and in every occupation. Now, if you are a window cleaner, you don't have to write "Yehweh" in soap power in the corner of every window you clean, if you are the refrigerator repairman you don't have to slip a religious tract in the ice maker before you leave or if you are the bank president...nothing is different. Treat God's people with love and respect. Show them Jesus in your integrity. Invite them to worship with you, sure, but don't judge them. That is not our job. And I for one am glad...I've got enough to do....like go back tonight and water those flowers. That storm last night...it passed right over us. Kind of like that Eeyore mood...