Magnolia's

[CRABBY]

By Edna Ellison


I spent the week before my daughter's June wedding running
last-minutetrips to the caterer, florist, tuxedo shop, and the church about
forty miles away. As happy as I was that Patsy was marrying a good Christian
young man, I felt laden with responsibilities as I watched my budget dwindle
. . . so many details, so many bills, and so little time. My son Jack was
away at college, but he said he would be there to walk his younger sister
down the aisle, taking the place of his dad who had died a few years before.
He teased Patsy, saying he'd wanted to give her away since she was about
three years old!

To save money, I gathered blossoms from several friends who had large
magnolia trees. Their luscious, creamy-white blooms and slick green leaves
would make beautiful arrangements agai nst the rich dark wood inside the
church.

After the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, we banked the
podium area and choir loft with magnolias. As we left just before
midnight, I felt tired but satisfied this would be the best wedding any
bride had ever had! The music, the ceremony, the reception - and
especially the flowers - would be remembered for years.

The big day arrived - the busiest day of my life - and while her
bridesmaids helped Patsy to dress, her fiancee Tim, walked with me to the
sanctuary to do a final check. When we opened the door and felt a rush of
hot air, I almost fainted; and then I saw them - all the
beautiful white flowers were black. Funeral black. An electrical storm
during the night had knocked out the air conditioning system, and on
that hot summer day, the flowers had wilted and died.

I panicked, knowing I didn't have time to drive back to our hometown,
gather more flowers, and return in time for the wedding.

Tim turned to me. "Edna, can you get more flowers? I'll throw away
these dead ones and put fresh flowers in these arrangements."

I mumbled, "Sure," as he be-bopped down the hall to put on his cuff
links.

Alone in the large sanctuary, I looked up at the dark wooden beams in
the arched ceiling. "Lord," I prayed, "please help me. I don't know
anyone in this town. Help me find someone willing to give me flowers -
in a hurry!" I scurried out praying for four things: the blessing of
white magnolias, courage to find them in an unfamiliar yard, safety from
any dog that may bite my leg, and a nice person who would not get out a
shotgun when I asked to cut his tree to shreds.

As I left the church, I saw magnolia trees in the distance. I approached a
house . . . no dog in sight. I knocked on the door and an older man
answered. So far so good . . . no shotgun. When I stated my plea the man
beamed, "I'd be happy to!"

He climbed a stepladder and cut large boughs and handed them down to me.
Minutes later, as I lifted the last armload into my car trunk, I
said, "Sir, you've made the mother of a bride happy today."

"No, Ma'am," he said. "You don't understand what's happening here."

"What?" I asked.

"You see, my wife of sixty-seven years died on Monday. On Tuesday I
received friends at the funeral home, and on Wednesday . . He paused. I
saw tears welling up in his eyes. "On Wednesday I buried her." He looked
away. "On Thursday most of my out-of-town relatives went back home, and on
Friday - yesterday - my children left.

I nodded.

"This morning," he continued, "I was sitting in my den crying out loud. I
miss her so much. For the last sixteen years, as her health got worse, she
needed me. But now nobody needs me. This morning I cried,
'Who needs an eighty-six-year-old wore-out man? Nobody!' I began to cry
louder. 'Nobody needs me!' About that time, you knocked, and said, "Sir, I
need you."

I stood with my mouth open.

He asked, "Are you an angel? The way the light shone around your head into
my dark living room .. ."

I assured him I was no angel.

He smiled. "Do you know what I was thinking when I handed you those
magnolias?"

"No."

"I decided I'm needed. My flowers are needed. Why, I might have a
flower ministry! I could give them to everyone! Some caskets at the
funeral h o me have no flowers. People need flowers at times like that and
i have lots of them. They're all over the backyard! I can give them to
hospitals, churches - all sorts of places. You know what I'm going to
do? I'm going to serve the Lord until the day He calls me home!"

I drove back to the church, filled with wonder. On Patsy's wedding
day, if anyone had asked me to encourage someone who was hurting,
would have said, "Forget it! It's my only daughter's wedding, for
goodness' sake! There is no way I can minister to anyone today."

But God found a way. Through dead flowers.

"Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is. The way
you cope with it is what makes the difference."
s

[vickinat]

Crabby, as ussual that was beautifull. I swear girl, you have a special nack for finding these qoutes. Thank you for sharing.
Love
vickie

[ksgirl]

I love that one!

[monster]

Oh crap, I'm crying again, LOL...you do have a way with finding just the right stuff to post girl Thanks for always bringing a smile, even if it is through blurry vision

Love ya,
monster

[MJC]

Crabby,

That is such a beautiful story and thanks for sharing it with us. Magnolias are my favorite flower and it is our state flower. They smell so good. Take care friend and love ya.

Cajun Hugsssssssss,
MJC