These are from bulbs that we dug up last fall from our previous home and replanted here. I guess this explains why the Easter lilies we buy - in the stores at Easter time - are actually brought in from places much farther south than North Carolina. Or at least greenhouses.
My cousin D.L. shared this scripture with me recently:
"Now the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars in the vestibule were of lily-work, four cubits." - 1 Kings 7:19 (ESV)
"Lily-work?" D. read what this meant: "The lily work which is described as a part of the ornamentation of the two pillars in the porch of Solomon's Temple is said to be, from the whiteness of the plant, symbolic of purity and peace. Properly, it is lotus work."
Purity and peace. Isn't that beautiful? Of course D., and I, both thought of our Lilly. She is now pure, dressed in white, and at peace with Christ our Savior.
Last week we had a fierce storm with high winds. By the time the rain had finished pummeling the earth here and the winds had slowed, the lily flowers in Lilly's garden that had bloomed recently no longer had any petals. Only the stalks, stripped of their beautiful, delicate flowers remained. It made me think of Lilly's life. Lilly was so beautiful and pure. Yet she was delicate ("medically fragile.") She bloomed radiantly on earth for a short time, and then she was suddenly gone.
I can't read anything with the word lily without thinking of your Lilly. She continues to inspire and left you all with a legacy. I pray that in the midst of your grief, you draw comfort from this. Keep writing and sharing, it is a blessing. Love, Cindy
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