Sandra felt as low as the heels of her Birkenstocks as she pushed against a November gust and the florist shop door. Her life had been easy, like a
spring breeze. Then in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a minor
automobile accident stole her ease. During this Thanksgiving week she would
have delivered a son. She grieved over her loss.
As if that weren't enough her husband's company threatened a transfer. Then
her sister, whose holiday visit she coveted, called saying she could not
come. What's worse, Sandra's friend infuriated her by suggesting her grief
was a
God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who
suffer. "Had she lost a child? No~she has no idea what I'm feeling,"
Sandra shuddered. Thanksgiving? "Thankful for what?" she wondered. For a
careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For
an airbag that saved her life but took that of her child?
"Good afternoon, can I help you?" The flower shop clerk's approach startled
Sandra. "Sorry," said Jenny the shop clerk, "I just didn't want you to think
I was ignoring you." "I....I need an arrangement."
"For Thanksgiving?" Sandra nodded.
"Do you want beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to challenge the day
with a customer favorite I call the Thanksgiving Special." Jenny saw
Sandra's curiosity and continued. "I'm convinced that flowers tell stories,
that each
arrangement insinuates a particular feeling. Are you looking for something
that conveys gratitude this Thanksgiving?"
"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted. "Sorry, but in the last five months, everything
that could go wrong has." Sandra regretted her outburst but was surprised
when Jenny said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you." The door to the
shop once again opened.
"Barbara! Hi," Jenny said. She politely excused herself from Sandra and walked
toward a small workroom. She quickly reappeared carrying a massive arrangement
of greenery, bows, and long-stemmed thorny roses. Only, the ends of the rose
stems were neatly snipped, no flowers.
"Want this in a box?" Jenny asked. Sandra watched for Barbara's response.
Was this a joke? Who would want rose stems and no flowers! She waited for
laughter, for someone to notice the absence of flowers atop the thorny
stems, but neither woman did.
"Yes, please. It's exquisite," said Barbara. "You'd think after three years
of getting the special, I'd not be so moved by its significance, but it's
happening again. My family will love this one. Thanks."
Why so normal a conversation about such a strange arrangement? She wondered.
"Ah, said Sandra, pointing. "That lady just left with, ah....." "Yes?"
"Well, she had no flowers!" "Right, I cut off the flowers." "Off?"
"Off. Yep. That's the Special. I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet."
"But, why do people pay for that?" In spite of herself Sandra chuckled.
"Do you really want to know?"
I couldn't leave your shop without knowing...I would wonder about nothing
else!"
"That might be good," said Jenny. "Well," she continued, "Barbara came into
the shop three years ago feeling very much like you feel today. She thought
she had very little to be thankful for. She had lost her father to cancer,
the family business was failing, her son was into drugs, and she faced major
surgery."
"That same year, I lost my husband. I assumed complete responsibility for the
shop and for the first time, spent the holidays alone. I had no children, no
husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to allow any travel" Jenny
said. "What did you do?" "I learned to be thankful for thorns."
Sandra's eyebrows lifted. "Thorns?"
I'm a Christian Sandra and I believe God gave us all things in life, but I
never thought to ask Him why good things happened to me. But, when bad stuff
hit, did I ever ask! It took time to learn that dark times are important.I
always enjoyed the 'flowers' of life but it took thorns to show me the beauty
of God's comfort. You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're
afflicted and from His consolation we learn to comfort others."
Sandra gasped. "A friend read that passage to me and I was furious! I guess
the truth is I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God."
She started to ask Jenny to "go on" when the door's bell diverted their
attention.
"Hey, Phil!" shouted Jenny as a balding, rotund man entered the shop. She
softly touched Sandra's arm and moved to welcome him. He tucked her under his
side for a warm hug.>
"I'm here for twelve thorny long-stemmed stems!" Phil laughed, heartily.
"I figured as much," said Jenny. "I've got them ready." She lifted a
tissue-wrapped arrangement from the refrigerated cabinet.
"Beautiful," said Phil. "My wife will love them."
Sandra couldn't help but ask "These are for your wife?"
Phil saw that Sandra's curiosity matched his when he first heard of a Thorn
Bouquet. "Do you mind me asking, Why thorns?">
"In fact, I'm glad you asked," he said. "Four years ago my wife and I nearly
divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but we slogged through,
problem by rotten problem. We rescued our marriage our love, really. Last
year at Thanksgiving I stopped in here for flowers. I must have mentioned
surviving a tough process because Jenny told me that for a long time she kept
a vase of rose stems-just the stems-as a reminder of what she learned from
"thorny" times. That was good enough for me. I took home stems. My wife and I
decided
to label each one for a specific thorny situation and give thanks for what the
problem taught us. I'm pretty sure this stem review has become a tradition."
Phil paid Jenny, thanked her again and as he left, said to Sandra, "I highly
recommend the Special!"
"I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life." Sandra saidto
Jenny. "Well, my experience says that thorns make roses more precious. We
treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time.
Remember,
Sandra, Jesus wore a crown of thorns so that we might know His love. Do not
resent thorns, actually be thankful for them."
Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident she
loosened her grip on resentment. "I'll take twelve long-stemmed thorns,
please."
"I hoped you would," Jenny said. "I'll have them ready in a minute. Then,
every time you see them, remember to appreciate both good and hard times.We
grow through both." "Thank you. What do I owe you?"
"Nothing. Nothing but a pledge to work toward healing your heart. The first
year's arrangement is always on me." Jenny handed a card to Sandra. "I'll
attach a card like this to your arrangement but maybe you'd like to read it
first. Go ahead, read it."
~*~My God, I have never thanked Thee for my thorn!
I have thanked Thee a thousand times for my roses,
but never once for my thorn. Teach me the glory of
the cross I bear, teach me the value of my thorns.
Show me that I have climbed to Thee by the path of
pain. Show me that my tears have made my rainbow. ~George Matheson~ ***
Jenny said, "Happy Thanksgiving, Sandra," handing her the Special. "I look
forward to our knowing each other better."
Sandra smiled. She turned, opened the door and walked toward hope. HAVE A BEAUTIFUL "THANKSGIVING"
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This web page is dedicated to a Special Lady named Pam and her 2 children. She has gone through so much but is such an incredible lady and Mom! Please keep her family in your prayers.
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