From Blue to Blue, Surviving Loss

This hydrangea was from a potted plant that was given to the family when my mom, Zona died two years ago.

It had large vivid pink blossoms then, in fact so many people in town sent pink flowers that the local florist in Prineville ran out of pink and had to special order more. My mom was serious about pink, she would have loved Barbie!

Although pink is one of my least favorite colors, I planted this where I’ve always wanted a hydrangea and thought of my mom in her favorite pink dress with the little petal cap sleeves each year when it bloomed.

Then this summer to my amazement it bloomed blue, the color I would have chosen, I guess due to moving it to an acidic soil vs alkaline.

I thought as I stood looking at it from the patio this evening that the color change seems to have coincided with the end of my deep mourning for my mom. I still miss her and think of her everyday but the deep sense of loss and pain have lifted and it is obvious that God has brought things into my life during that time that provided not only healing but joy once again.

When we lay in bed at night worrying about the future and the losses we may have to face, we never factor in that God not only knows about the losses but He has already planned the remedy.

Rod used to remind me that 95% of what we worry about never happen, but even that which does happen is firmly in God’s hands…a good place to leave it.

Now we have lost Rod's dad this last week...we are orphans now, but not without hope knowing God knew the appointed time of each departure....was it a coincidence that his large picture fell off the wall in his room at home just as he was dying in the hospital? An exit of exultation!