PAGES Summer 2001 Editorial
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Editorial, Summer 2001 issue of PAGES:
"Looking Around Me"
Last summer my friend, Ellen Longacre, wrote for her friends and family members the entire story of the creative marking of her mother's 100 birthday. A few details vividly helped us all imagine the scene: the extended family gathering on the lawn just outside the mobile home parked for the past 14 years next to Ellen and Jim's farmhouse. (This had been a cozy home for Mary Elizabeth Witmer Herr, born June 29, 1900.) Knowing Ellen's love of flowers, I can see flower beds full of bloom for the occasion.
Ellen — I woke up at 4 a.m. — too excited to sleep any longer, but waited until about 5:30 to go over to Mother to say, "Happy Birthday!"
"Oh, I hadn't thought about it," she responded. "Oh, I'm so thankful I feel SO good!"
"The florist came with a bouquet of ten roses (one for each decade) in shades of salmon and pale pink from the family, and another lovely mixed bouquet (a peach lily, pale pink rose, blue delphinium, white daisies, pink and purple variegated carnations) from the Rawlinsville church family." [Mary Elizabeth's home congregation in Lancaster, PA]
And the family members came from near and far. Worship that morning was family-led. Of special notice for me was the Sharing of Mementos. "Copies of photo of Mother at age 10… 100 pressed violets from Jean, George, Thomas and Paul Francis. … 100 woven straw stars from Bangladesh" [Names of family members serving with MCC].
Flowers for the living — Ellen's mother died weeks later — just a year ago.
And this year Ellen had a new vision as she stared at the spot in her yard where the mobile home used to be. With tender love and God's cooperation the spot is now covered with lush and brilliant bloom from a huge assortment of flower seeds.
This is the season of the year around here when the earth bursts forth with beauty.
I recently "celebrated" the life of another friend who had died of cancer and whose family had planned a fitting tribute with a rendition of Brahm's Requiem sung by the very choral society she had conducted for years. I drank in the comfort and the blessing — in the midst of sorrow — of that lovely music. The German text translated in English: "Behold, the farmer waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth …hath long patience for it, until he receive the morning and the evening rain. Be ye also patient." (James 5:7) Flowers start with such tiny seeds but with patience they will burst into color while drinking from God's rain. "God's word stands forever while …flesh is as grass …the grass withers and the flowers fall," quotes Peter from Isaiah 40:8 and Paul's triumphant words follow — "Tod, wo ist dein Stachel?" (Death, where is thy sting?) And finally, the soaring lyrics of jubilant faith from Psalm 84:1 — "How lovely is thy dwelling place!"
Celestial flowers everywhere! My imagery of heaven includes many flowers! That promise of "gold" may be dandelions, daffodils, day lilies, sunflowers, "peace" roses!
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