A little sunshine through the rain

It has been raining for days here. It is a natural thing to get out of bed, look outside and say, "What a dreary day"!! I thought that myself as I got out early this morning in the midst of all the rain. I thought about it last night as Lacy and I drove home in the pouring down rain from a day trip to Atlanta. But as I got my project out for the morning, I could feel God shining through all that rain outside. You see, we don`t have to be outside in the sunshine, to feel it, you don`t have to be in the midst of a garden to feel His love. You can be right in the middle of your home, in the kitchen, on a rainy and dreary day, and feel it.

It started the year I was married.
 Mother found some beautiful flowers, pressed and dried them, and carefully placed them around our wedding invitation. She then matted and framed it and gave it to us as a wedding gift. It always hung in our living room as we moved from house to house and held a special place in my heart. She continued this as more friends had children that married. It turned into her little business as word traveled and others found out about her talents...

Fast forward 36 years later, and you would never be able to count all the invitations that she had done over the years. When she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer two years ago and while she was still physically able, she still took in orders from some of her customers. When she died, the frame shop called to see if I might be able to do an order they had from one of her customers. I had all of her supplies. I still had books full of pressed flowers that she had done, so I did a few orders when they came in. Then the months went by and I didn`t have any orders for invitations to do.I figured that might be the end of the invitation business.

Until this week...

 I got another call from Chris at the Frame Shoppe. Someone had left their invitation and wanted to have it "embellished with dried flowers" as Mother had done so often for them. So, today, on this rainy day, I pulled it all out. I pulled those books out of my cabinet, filled with papers and dried flowers between the pages. I got my glue and toothpick, just like she used to use. Through the darkness outside today, I could look at those dried flowers that she had taken the time to press years ago, and I saw beauty. I saw sunshine, thinking of the days when all that sunshine and rain grew those flowers. I saw love as I thought of her picking them and placing them carefully in between the pages to dry. I saw God`s goodness as He gave me that time to feel close to Him and in doing so, to feel close to Mother.

During that special time of creating,I was able to remember her doing this so many times over the years. It is a great pleasure for me to be able to do this for her, to continue her work, in a very small way, and to share the beauty of His creation.

 

And that is how I found sunshine on this beautiful rainy day!

Have a great week, Love,