Good morning…
I walked by a little purple-white pansy peeking up through a lush sea of green grass. With rows and rows of neatly placed flowers looking on from a nearby bed, this one persistent pansy somehow appeared in a place it was not planted. Bold. Beguiling. Beautiful.
Now I explore the meaning behind this dainty delight. The word “pansy” is derived from the mid-15th century French word “penser,” which means to think or to ponder. I learn that pansies can symbolize free thinking (this little one certainly has a mind of her own) and can represent hopes for happiness. Pansy flowers are often regarded as “get well” blooms, showing that you sympathize with someone’s pain and distress.
I am sympathizing with the painful cancer journey of thirty-nine year old Elizabeth, loving wife, mother of three, daughter and daughter-in-law, friend to so many. This week, she wrote these bittersweet words: “I feel peace that my destination is heaven, a place where tears, sorrow, sickness, pain, and death are felt and feared no more. Am I devastated to leave my family and friends? Absolutely. Am I crushed that I won’t get to see my precious children grow up? You know I’m crushed. Do I weep when I think of not getting to grow old and gray with my Graham, having to give up all the dreams we had for the future? I weep. Do I lament the fact that I don’t get to continue raising our children with my most dear friends? Oh I lament. And God weeps and laments with me.”
Might this persistent pansy represent all of the prayers we are lifting for Elizabeth and her loved ones?
I am sympathizing with the pain of our long-time friend Audrey, her parents and brother, her many friends and diligent prayer warriors. Audrey has been battling neuroblastoma since she was five years old. Last week, I received a brief, devastating text from her mother, “Audrey relapsed.” Later the family elaborated in their Facebook post: “Audrey has relapsed in the area of her left adrenal gland. Unfortunately, because Audrey is on much needed steroids for her severe lung issues, she is currently ineligible for any systemic (cancer) treatments.” Having just graduated from Westminster, turning nineteen on June 9th and so looking forward to her freshman year at Notre Dame, Audrey will endure a lung biopsy next week before heading to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for three or four weeks for proton radiation therapy to try to address her fifth relapse.
Might this pretty little pansy, thriving in an unchosen place, symbolize all of our prayers for Audrey and her loved ones?
I am sympathizing with the distress of my mom, who shares a birthday with Audrey, turning eighty-six on June 9th. She has pushed through a series of serious health issues for over two years now, and recently she has been struggling with the effects of an infection, trying to sort our her breathing issues, her energy loss, and her cognitive clarity. I also sympathize with my eighty-seven year old dad, who is my mom’s attentive caregiver. I look forward to flying to Ohio this weekend to attend their performance of Music Man at their senior living community. How wonderful it will be to spend quality time relaxing together.
Might this small, hardy pansy represent our heartfelt prayers for my positive, persistent parents?
Back to the photo of the single pansy. The very next day, I walked past the same spot. I noticed that the grass had been freshly cut. Gone was the face of this purple-white flower. Brief. Beautiful. Blessing.
As our memories remain beneath the surface of things, our focus begins to shift. So we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal [just brief and fleeting], but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable (2 Corinthians 4:18, AMP).
Each time we notice a pretty, little pansy, might we ponder, “God, who is in need of my deepest prayers in this eternal moment?”
…Sue…
