~ Flowers in Winter ~

[Lani]

Psalms 92:12-15
12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;
15 To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.


In old age [the righteous] still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap. Psalm 92:14 (NRSV)


One beautiful day in November as I walked in our yard, I noticed the wildflowers from Alaska that my wife and I had planted in the spring. Many of them were still blooming. Delicate little flowers of many colors decorated the ground that surrounds our lawn swing. And I thought to myself, It’s November, and these flowers are still blooming! A few days later snow began to fall. I looked and the wildflowers were still blooming.

Our lives are like the progression of seasons. In springtime we are born and grow. Our summer years are our most active. In autumn we mature. And then comes our winter. Typically, we walk more slowly; we may not hear or see as well as we once did; and we know more about doctor’s offices, ailments and prescriptions. But even in winter, flowers can still bloom.

Some of us are “winter” people who, like beautiful flowers, bloom finally in their later years. I know a grandmother who teaches Sunday school, leads weekly Bible studies and delivers meals to shut ins. I know one older woman who faithfully plays the piano for her church. And I know another who generously shares with others what God has given. People like these remind me that in winter, flowers still bloom.


Prayer: O God, in our November may we still bloom. Amen.

Prayer Focus of Day: The elderly in my church.

Story shared by: T. DeHass (IA)
Source: Upper Room Daily Devotional: 11/5/11