Long After
My mom’s favorite flower was the gardenia. I remember
she used to wear one in her hair on festive occasions. She is no longer
here, but for years my dad had a beautiful gardenia bush in his yard in her
memory. Today we have one outside too; the blooms seem to peak around
Mothers Day each May which brings many memories to mind.
Gardenias are the most potent smelling flowers I know. The pungent fragrance
of just one flower can fill an entire room. The blooms don’t last very long.
The smooth, ivory petals turn yellow, then brown. Too quickly they look
dried up and ugly.
Funny thing about gardenias, long after the appearance of the flower starts
to go downhill, the powerfully sweet odor is every bit as strong as it ever
was.
Interesting thing about saints: long after the outward appearance begins to
degenerate, due to aging, accidents, or disease, a glorious aroma still
radiates to the world. The Spirit in our hearts never dies or disintegrates.
And you can bet that when one leaves this world, there remains a sweet
smelling fragrance. Long after.
That is good news.
Sally Ireland Kennedy,
© 2009 Irish Thursdays Weekly Devotionals, http://www.sallyikennedy.com