And in the fullness of time...

A long time ago a student gave me a Christmas cactus ; it bloomed copiously and defied all my usual ungreen thumb efforts. It basically proved that it could take care of itself and survive sporadic waterings and feedings, and each year, around Thanksgiving, it surprised me by bursting into gracious blooms that I did not deserve. 

The winter of 2001-2002 was long and difficult - not on account of the weather, but on account of threats to our sense of safety and our impending move to a new home. That year the cactus began to bloom in November and continued to put out blooms throughout the winter until it was settled in a sunny window location in the bathroom of our new home where it continued to bloom until close to Easter.  Each day it provided a reminder that if it could keep blooming despite the upheaval, I could reciprocate with a positive attitude. 

This year, now three times its original size, the cactus, as usual, was put outside to dry out for the summer.  We had a busy summer with more trips and visitors than usual, and the poor cactus was essentially forgotten until the end of September when I was tidying round the garden in pre-fall clean up mode and discovered it  sitting behind a wall looking shriveled, dusty, and forlorn. However, I decided it was time to bring it in, water it, and feed it, though I feared that it had been abandoned for rather too long this time and would fail to survive. Week by week the leaves resumed their their succulent appearance as the wrinkles plumped up and disappeared ( I don’t know why this doesn’t work for me...). And then, early November, right on cue, little flower buds appeared on the extremity of each leaf.  Finally, during Christmas week, the first blooms opened and continued to flower during the long and empty winter days.

Once again, I am amazed at the miracle of nature’s power to teach lessons of grace and redemption, and provide me with the reminder to “bloom where you’re planted.”