Week Forty-Two - People and Peonies

"These gorgeous peonies arrived at my door Sunday afternoon. I knew who they were from as soon as I saw the box. A friend who has known my joys as well as my sorrow. A friend who has grown and blossomed with me. We have supported each other. Laughed together. Cried together. Have we always seen eye to eye? Of course not, but our goal and desire have always been the same: to love the Lord our God with all our hearts and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We haven't always gotten it right, but I know we are both thankful for the time God has given us to grow, learn, and change. To bloom where we are planted.

For the past few days, I have watched these gorgeous peonies quickly open, arrive at their fullest bloom, and then quickly begin to fade. Oh the sadness I felt on realizing their peak had already come and gone. Did I enjoy them enough in that moment? Did I appreciate their beauty as they gave me all they had? I can honestly say I did. I've sat in my living room soaking up their vibrant color, observing their open, eager faces basking in the sun. They have brought me joy these past few days. And now, even as they fade, I can see the beauty they hold. There is beauty in every phase of life if we look for it. The color has faded to a softer, gentler hue. The petals droop a little now, maybe tired from the energy they used to shine so brightly for their moment in time. Yet, I still sit here, looking long, appreciating these amazing flowers God created. I sit here, finding myself in their story. Maybe you can find yourself there, too."

These words came from RuthAnn, a precious colleague and friend I recently lost to cancer. Her journey was unexpected and mercifully short, but her influence and friendship will remain as vibrant as the flowers she enjoyed.

Friendships come in many forms. There are childhood friends, college mates, friends made at work, friends that seem only for a season, and even friends that grow estranged. Each plays a part in our lives, and we play a part in theirs. We, like the gorgeous peonies, are temporary. As brightly as we may glow in someone's life, we will droop and eventually fade. 

The precious thing about my friend and I is that we shared a mutual friend, the Lord Jesus. His friendship throughout the years, and especially during these final few months, has been the glow that carried my friend on her journey. As I write and reflect today, I know that His friendship is the only one that can carry the grieving.

Songwriter Arthur Luther wrote:

Earthly friends may prove untrue, Doubts and fears assail;
One still loves and cares for you: Jesus never fails.

Tho' the sky be dark and drear, Fierce and strong the gale,
Just remember He is near, And He will not fail.

In life's dark and bitter hour, Love will still prevail;
Trust His everlasting power; Jesus will not fail.

Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails;
Heav'n and earth may pass away,
But Jesus never fails.

RuthAnn closed her note to me with these two scriptures. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof" (Matthew 6:33-34). 

And Isaiah 40:6-8, "The voice said Cry, and he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: the grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand for ever."

Dear reader friend, it is my prayer that you have loving earthly friendships to encourage you along your journey, but it is my greater prayer that you know the friend above all friends, the Lord Jesus. If you have questions, you can contact me via my website www.gailgritts.com or follow this link for more information - https://www.questionsgod.com/word-pdf/roman-road-to-salvation-kjv.pdf