Sandra felt as low as the heels of her Birkenstocks as she pushed against a
November gust and the florist shop door. Her life had been easy, like a spring
breeze. Then in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a minor automobile
accident stole her ease. During this Thanksgiving week she would have delivered
a son. She grieved over her loss.
As if that weren't enough her husband's company threatened a transfer. Then her
sister, whose holiday visit she coveted, called saying she could not come.
What's worse, Sandra's friend infuriated her by suggesting her grief was a
God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who
suffer?
"Had she lost a child? -No-she has no idea what I'm feeling," Sandra shuddered.
Thanksgiving? "Thankful for what?" She wondered. For a careless driver whose
truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an air bag that saved her
life but took that of her child?
"Good afternoon, can I help you?" The flower shop clerk's approach startled her.
"Sorry," said Jenny, "I just didn't want you to think I was ignoring you."
"I....I need an arrangement for Thanksgiving?" Sandra nodded.
"Do you want beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to challenge the day with
a customer favourite I call the "Thanksgiving Special."
Jenny saw Sandra's curiosity and continued. "I'm convinced that flowers tell
stories, that each arrangement insinuates a particular feeling. Are you looking
for something that conveys gratitude this Thanksgiving?"
"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted. "Sorry, but in the last five months, everything
that could go wrong has."
Sandra regretted her outburst but was surprised when Jenny said,
"I have the perfect arrangement for you."
The door's small bell suddenly rang.
"Barbara! Hi," Jenny said.
She politely excused herself from Sandra and walked toward a small workroom. She
quickly reappeared carrying a massive arrangement of greenery, bows, and
long-stemmed thorny roses. Only, the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped,
no flowers.
"Want this in a box?" Jenny asked.
Sandra watched for Barbara's response. Was this a joke? Who would want rose
stems and no flowers! She waited for laughter, for someone to notice the absence
of flowers atop the thorny stems, but neither woman did.
"Yes, please. It's exquisite," said Barbara. "You'd think after three years of
getting the special, I'd not be so moved by its significance, but it's happening
again. My family will love this one. Thanks."
Sandra stared. "Why so normal a conversation about so strange an arrangement?
She wondered. "Ah, said Sandra, pointing. "That lady just left with, ah....."
"Yes," "Well, she had no flowers!" "Right, I cut off the flowers."
"Off?"
"Off. Yep. That's the Special. I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet."
"But, why do people pay for that?" In spite of herself she chuckled.
"Do you really want to know?"
"I couldn't leave this shop without knowing. I'd think about nothing else!"
"That might be good," said Jenny. "Well," she continued, "Barbara came into the
shop three years ago feeling very much like you feel today. She thought she had
very little to be thankful for. She had lost her father to cancer, the family
business was failing, her son was into drugs, and she faced major surgery."
"Ouch!" Said Sandra.
"That same year, I lost my husband. I assumed complete responsibility for the
shop and for the first time, spent the holidays alone. I had no children, no
husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to allow any travel."
"What did you do?"
"I learned to be thankful for thorns."
Sandra's eyebrows lifted. "Thorns?"
"I'm a Christian, Sandra. I've always thanked God for good things in life and I
never thought to ask Him why good things happened to me? But, when bad stuff
hit, did I ever ask! It took time to learn that dark times are important. I
always enjoyed the 'flowers' of life but it took thorns to show me the beauty of
God's comfort. You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're
afflicted and from His consolation we learn to comfort others."
Sandra gasped. "A friend read that passage to me and I was furious! I guess the
truth is I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God."
She started to ask Jenny to "go on" when the door's bell diverted their
attention. "Hey, Phil!" Shouted Jenny as a balding, rotund man entered the shop.
She softly touched Sandra's arm and moved to welcome him. He tucked her under
his side for a warm hug.
"I'm here for twelve thorny long-stemmed stems!" Phil laughed, heartily.
"I figured as much," said Jenny. "I've got them ready."
She lifted a tissue-wrapped arrangement from the refrigerated cabinet.
"Beautiful," said Phil. "My wife will love them."
Sandra could not resist asking. "These are for your wife?"
Phil saw that Sandra's curiosity matched his when he first heard of a Thorn
Bouquet. "Do you mind me asking, "Why thorns?"
"In fact, I'm glad you asked," he said. "Four years ago my wife and I nearly
divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but we slogged through,
problem by rotten problem. We rescued our marriage-our love, really. Last year
at Thanksgiving I stopped in here for flowers. I must have mentioned surviving a
tough process because Jenny told me that for a long time she kept a vase of rose
stems-stems!-as a reminder of what she learned from "thorny" times. That was
good enough for me. I took home stems. My wife and I decided to label each one
for a specific thorny situation and give thanks for what the problem taught us.
I'm pretty sure this stem review is becoming a tradition."
Phil paid Jenny, thanked her again and as he left, said to Sandra,
"I highly recommend the "Special!"
"I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life." Sandra said to
Jenny.
"Well, my experience says that thorns make roses more precious. We treasure
God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember,
Sandra, Jesus wore a crown of thorns so that we might know His love. Do not
resent the thorns."
Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident she
loosened her grip on resentment.
"I'll take twelve long-stemmed thorns, please."
"I hoped you would," Jenny said. "I'll have them ready in a minute. Then, every
time you see them, remember to appreciate both good and hard times. We grow
through both."
"Thank you. What do I owe you?"
"Nothing. Nothing but a pledge to work toward healing your heart. The first
year's arrangement is always on me." Jenny handed a card to Sandra. "I'll attach
a card like this to your arrangement but maybe you'd like to read it first. Go
ahead, read it."
My God, I have never thanked Thee for my thorn! I have thanked Thee a thousand
times for my roses, but never once for my thorn. Teach me the glory of the cross
I bear, teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed to Thee by
the path of pain. Show me that my tears have made my rainbow.
George Matheson
Jenny said, "Happy Thanksgiving, Sandra," handing her the Special. "I look
forward to our knowing each other better."
Sandra smiled. She turned, opened the door and walked toward hope.
"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy
name, O most high." Psalms 92:1 (KJV)
Author unknown. If anyone has a proprietary interest in this story please
authenticate and I will be happy to credit, or remove, as the circumstances
dictate.
Thanks to AleeHead@aol.com
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