The day before Mother's Day, Christian and I went to the grocery store
to grab some Sunday dinner food.
After we got in the car, Christian immediately said that he needed to go back
because he forgot something.
I told him whatever he needed to get was not worth it.
It was late, the stores crowded, and I needed to make dinner.
But he insisted.
About an hour later, he returned with a bouquet of beautiful white lilies.
Flowers. He got me flowers. I was so grateful!
He asked me what vase to use to put them in, and right then
my dear friend Hope came into my mind.
What would she do for her first Mother's Day without Kevin?
I felt impressed that those flowers were for Hope.
I told Chrisitan to leave them on the counter,
and I'd find a vase for them, fully knowing that I would give them to Hope.
Before bed, I plopped them into a water pitcher and left them in the sink.
We climbed into bed, and I told Chrisitan that I felt like I needed to give those
beautiful flowers he bought for me (which, frankly, he rarely does) to Hope.
The next day after church, we drove to Hope's home tucked away in the woods.
She was outside with her family having a picnic.
We quickly jumped out of the car, and she ran up to us.
I handed her the flowers, and he began sobbing.
"How did you know? These are my favorite flowers!
Lilies are what Kevin would give me on Mother's Day!"
Of course, they were.
Christian told me he was so tempted to get the tulips instead of the lilies,
but grabbed the lilies last minute.
And it's because they were never for me anyway.
We drove home feeling grateful that we had felt the spirit;
for Chrisitan to have a desire to go back to the store to buy flowers
in the first place, and to pick lilies instead of tulips,
and for me to give them to her.
When life is hard, and nothing (I mean NOTHING) seems to work out,
it's nice to still feel trusted and guided by the Lord.
