Cindy’s Lesson

It was early March, 1982. It had been a snowy February. Jerry had been out of the country for over a month on a business trip. I had been extremely busy with my own job, taking care of the family alone, grocery shopping, feeding Rags, our dog, and preparing for company, Friday, late in the afternoon, our daughter, Cindy, came home. She was a college student living in an apartment near campus. The next day her boyfriend, Tim from Arizona, was coming to meet the family for the first time. He was spending his spring vacation with us, and I knew Cindy wanted us to make a good impression on him.

The house was clean, the menus were planned, the shopping was done, but I had not gone outside to clean up a month’s supply of Rag’s deposits. Jerry usually did that job, and I had overlooked it. Besides, the snow had kept it well hidden, so no one had noticed. But the snow had melted that week and Cindy did notice. She was concerned it would be the first thing Tim would see when he arrived.

She suggested that someone needed to go out and clean up the yard. Since it was her boyfriend who was coming, I reasoned she could do that chore. After a lengthy discussion, she finally took the necessary equipment outside and under protest, proceeded to clean up all the piles left by Rags.

She was outside a long time. It was a sizable job! She worked first in the front yard where Rag’s contributions were most noticeable and then moved to the back yard which had a southern exposure. The snow was completely gone and the piles loomed. Later, she knocked excitedly on the back door. I opened it and she called, “mom, come out here!” There, right next to the steps bloomed a small bunch of the most beautiful crocus one could ever see, the first sign of spring. We’d never before seen crocus this early. These words flew out of my mouth, “See Cindy, sometimes when life gives you a mess to pick up, you find flowers!”

"From “Listen to the Lilies” by Marjorie Sharples

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. (Psalm 138:7)