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Do you have a green thumb? I wish I did! My mother, my grandmother, and her mother before her all loved growing beautiful flowers. Who doesn’t love the sunny face of a bright, yellow sunflower? Or the surprise splash of vibrant color in the middle of the median where some wonderful state worker has planted wildflowers?

Nurtured by the almost daily afternoon showers, and the bright Florida sun, flowers are everywhere this time of year. And, in pesticide-free gardens, the bees are nearby, turning the nectar into golden honey.

My grandmother, whose wedding is celebrated in Annie Laura’s Triumph, loved trees and flowers–indeed all growing things. Mama remembers her taking Spanish moss from the woods and throwing it over the massive oaks in her front yard, hoping to achieve “tree lace” of her own.

My mother loved to take pictures of flowers. I remember when I was much younger thinking how silly she was. Now I understand. Flowers are transitory being. My mother wanted to capture beauty—preserve it. It was her way, I think, of holding a sparkle of eternity.

 

I love walking Iris, my 65 lb lab mix, even in the Panama City summertime heat, mainly because I look forward to the swim we take afterwards. I wear shorts, a tank top and Chacos.

My grandmother and great grandmother walked this area, just a couple of miles away, in 1915. They walked because they didn’t have cars, and their horse was used mainly for working the fields.What must it have been like for them, sweltering in this Florida heat in long-sleeved blouses and many layered skirts? How did they manage to survive the heat and humidity without what my little six-year old friend calls “inside air”?

While writing Annie Laura’s Triumph (set in 1915 about the life of my great-grandmother), I learned that there was a revolution of sorts in women’s fashion about that time. Fashion magazines touted a “transition to simplicity.”

What exactly did that mean? Corsets were looser, and skirts were fuller and hemmed above the ankles, “making it easier to move about,” though certainly not any cooler.

Here is a picture of my grandmother and her new baby along with several aunts. This picture was taken in Southport, Florida, 1916. It’s summertime–you can see the corn stalks growing behind them. My grandmother was 16–she wears 3/4 length sleeves, but notice that all of the older women have on long sleeves and long skirts.

I can’t imagine walking down my street in a corset covered by a long-sleeved blouse, a layer of petticoats, and a heavy cotton skirt down to my ankles, no matter how loose the hem might be! I can’t even wear sleeveless maxi dresses in the summer. Way too hot!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s mother’s nightmare, being forcibly separated from a child.

In ancient Rome, a few days after birth the child’s father was given the responsibility determining the child’s fate. Would the family keep the child, or was the child more of a liability than an asset, and would she, therefore, be exposed? (For more on this click here)

A harrowing thought, right? The mother carries the child for nine months, goes through labor and delivery, bonds with the child, all the time knowing that the child might be snatched away from her.

Move forward two millennia to Northwest Florida, 1900. A woman gives birth to a child born of rape. She has no money and no prospects. The mother believes that the only chance the child has of being fed and clothed properly is for the mother to give the child up to a family who can care for her.

That woman is my great-grandmother. And the child? My grandmother, who bore the shameful stigma of “illegitimate” for her entire life.

But my grandmother was determined to make certain that her own children were sheltered from such pain. She guarded her children’s happiness with ferocity. In her old age, my mother’s dementia robbed her of most of her memories. But she remembered the happy childhood my grandmother—her mother—gifted her with.

Out of the darkness, light.

 

And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” But he replied to one of them… “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?” (Matthew 20: 11-13,15)

 

I feel the indignation of the workers who have done the right thing all day and their reward is no greater than those who have only done the right thing for an hour.

But the lesson is clear: rejoice when anyone comes to know the love of Christ, regardless of how that person may have injured you or the world. Forgiving and loving as Christ forgives and loves is a life-long journey. I pray that my daily walk will teach me not only to forgive, but will allow me to rejoice in forgiveness. Only then can I know the generosity of Christ.

Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6

My good friend looked at the little wooden sign sitting in my living room. And they lived happily ever after.

“Well,” she said, “I guess that was a lie.”

I was taken aback. “It’s not a lie,” I said.

“Seriously, Milinda, you call this happily ever after?”

Perhaps, I am naïve.

I do understand her point. We are at a place in our lives when our children have just left our safe nest, our parents are ageing, and so are we. Life is not easy. Tragedy befalls us.

But that doesn’t stop me from believing that I am living happily ever after. God never promised things would be easy. God promised he would hold my hand through my journey. And that gives me joy. That’s my happily ever after.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22

“I got the blues thinking of the future, so I left off and made some marmalade. It’s amazing how it cheers one up to shred oranges and scrub the floor.” D.H. Lawrence

Feeling blue can sometimes be remedied by a small task whose conclusion offers results: cleaning a toilet, sewing a pillow, cooking a meal, preparing a lecture. It’s such a simple solution, I often ignore its truth. But the Bible reminds me that finding satisfaction in our work is a gift from God.

“That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.” Ecclesiastes 3:13

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Luke 12: 34

My children are my treasure, and they have my heart.  And yet, God calls me to seek his kingdom first, to desire his love most, and to send my children to him. I so want to cling to them, I so want their love. But, I have to let go. I have to send my precious children into the loving arms of a gracious god. My thirst must be for God’s love above all.

But seek his kingdom and these things will be given to you as well.  Luke 12:31

O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. Psalm 98:1

Singing praise and worship songs might be my favorite part of church. Our congregation raises its voice to God, the holy spirit like a protective cloud surrounds us. Music brings the blessed catharsis of tears and laughter, twin soul-soothers.

Make a joyful nose to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. Psalm 99:4

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked for us. Hebrews 12:1

I love this image, being surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses in those who went before me—my grandmothers, my grandfathers, aunts and uncles, my father and great grandmother, all of whom, I know, loved God with all of their heart. To know that they surround me as I struggle, with my eyes on Jesus, to reach that heavenly peace comforts me.

 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2-3

The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. James 5:16b

Last night at dinner with dear friends, I stumbled over words meant to share a miracle God had recently worked in my family’s life. After the fervent prayer of loved ones, my son was given a second chance. I wanted to say that the prayers of the righteous are, indeed, powerful and effective (James 5:16). I found it easier to talk about the circumstances than I did in God’s hand in the miracle. If I had been more courageous and shared God’s miracle, who knows what needed blessing God might have revealed to my friends? I am in need of the first half of the verse today: Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. James 5:16a  I confess my weakness and pray for discernment and the courage to share.