Yesterday.
Today!
Willow always gives me paperwhites for Thanksgiving. We share a love for plants and growth and green and flowers. And I love knowing that our plants are growing up -mine here- hers in Columbus.
Look at the difference a day of sunshine makes!
These are going to bloom way before Christmas! And I’m happy about that, because we won’t be here for Christmas, so I’ll get to enjoy them during the Advent season.
Christmas is about relationship. God within the Godhead- the Trinity opened to include us into eternal relationship. Christ becoming man in order to bring adoption to mankind. Relationship.
The gifting is there, most certainly, but the relationship is by far the center of the Christmas experience for me. And the wonder of the incarnation- not from the point of view of mankind, but from God. That surrendering of glory that Christ refers to in his high priestly prayer in John 17. That sundering of relationship that involves flesh and blood. The entire episode of becoming sin and stepping into the breach-paying the price- healing the breach of sin- and becoming our advocate.
So- when I start to get crazy about gifts and start thinking about what I can give, or make or buy- I look at these paper whites and think of relationship. Because that is what makes this gift so precious to me- the giving of her understanding, the sharing of our interests and joys, the inclusion these lovely plants give me in my daughter’s life.
And in that reminder, I look again at Christmas- at a baby in a manger- at the relationships that rocked the Universe and set things straight.
Peace on earth, Goodwill to men.
Yes, I am thankful our Heavenly Father provided away and Christ was willing to carry it through for me and all of mankind. You have no dirt in your paper whites. So you have no dirt on your fingers.
I have found that paper whites do better in water for me. Dirt=lanky top heavy plants.
I had plenty of dirt from the boxwood! Ally clipped them after the Nor’easter and I picked them up from the muddy ground. My hands were filthy and the table covered with a layer of dirt after I finished the wreath!
I love that we have started a Thanksgiving tradition. I didn’t know I “always” give you paperwhites, but now I’ll try to remember. I’m so jealous of how tall yours are already. I didn’t start mine for about a week because I was waiting to get stones, but they have just barely started growing.
Perhaps it isn’t always. Perhaps I just feel that way in my heart. I does seem like you have given me paperwhites many times- or maybe I just enjoyed them so immensely that …. Anyway- I LOVE them! And you!