SPECIAL ROSES FOR THANKSGIVING

Sandra felt as low as the heels of her Birkenstocks

as she pushed against a November gust and the florist

shop door. Her life had been easy, like a spring

breeze. Then, in the fourth month of her second

pregnancy, a minor automobile accident stole her

ease. During this Thanksgiving week, she would

have delivered a son. She grieved over her loss. As

if that weren't enough, her husband's company

threatened a transfer. Then her sister, whose holiday

visit she coveted, called saying she could not come.

What's worse, Sandra's friend infuriated her by

suggesting her grief was a God-given path to maturity

that would allow her to empathize with others

who suffer. "Had she lost a child? No - she has

no idea what I'm feeling," Sandra shuddered.

Thanksgiving? "Thankful for what?" she wondered.

For a careless driver whose truck was hardly

scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag

that saved her life but took that of her child?

"Good afternoon, can I help you?" The flower

shop clerk's approach startled her. "Sorry," said

Jenny, "I just didn't want you to think I was ignoring

you." "I . . . . I need an arrangement." "For

Thanksgiving?" Sandra nodded. "Do you want

beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to challenge

the day with a customer favorite I call the

'Thanksgiving Special'?" Jenny saw Sandra's

curiosity and continued. "I'm convinced that

flowers tell stories, that each arrangement insinuates

a particular feeling. Are you looking for

something that conveys gratitude this Thanksgiving?"

"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted. "Sorry, but in the

last five months, everything that could go wrong

has."

Sandra regretted her outburst but was surprised

when Jenny said, "I have the perfect arrangement

for you." The door's small bell suddenly rang.

"Barbara, hi!" Jenny said. She politely excused

herself from Sandra and walked toward a small

workroom. She quickly reappeared carrying a

massive arrangement of green bows, and long-

stemmed thorny roses. Only, the ends of the rose

stems were neatly snipped, no flowers. "Want

this in a box?" Jenny asked. Sandra watched

for Barbara's response. Was this a joke? Who

would want rose stems and no flowers! She

waited for laughter, for someone to notice the

absence of flowers atop the thorny stems, but

neither woman did. "Yes, please. It's exquisite."

said Barbara. "You'd think after three years

of getting the special, I'd not be so moved by

its significance, but it's happening again. My

family will love this one. Thanks."

Sandra stared. "Why so normal a conversation

about so strange an arrangement?" she wondered.

"Ah," said Sandra, pointing. "That lady just left

with, ah . . . " "Yes?" "Well, she had no flowers!"

"Yep. That's the Special. I call it the "Thanksgiving

Thorns Bouquet." "But, why do people pay for

that?" In spite of herself, she chuckled. "Do you

really want to know?" "I couldn't leave this shop

without knowing. I'd think about nothing else!"

"That might be good," said Jenny.

"Well," she continued, "Barbara came into the shop

three years ago feeling very much like you feel

today. She thought she had very little to be thankful

for. She had lost her father to cancer, the family

business was failing, her son was into drugs, and

she faced major surgery." "Ouch!" said Sandra.

"That same year, I lost my husband. I assumed

complete responsibility for the shop and for the

first time, spent the holidays alone. I had no children,

no husband, no family nearby, and too great a

debt to allow any travel." "What did you do?"

"I learned to be thankful for thorns." Sandra's

eyebrows lifted. "Thorns?"

"I'm a Christian, Sandra. I've always thanked God

for good things in life and I never thought to ask

Him why good things happened to me. But, when

bad stuff hit, did I ever ask! It took time to learn

that dark times are important. I always enjoyed

the flowers of life but it took thorns to show me

the beauty of God's comfort. You know, the Bible

says that God comforts us when we're afflicted

and from His consolation we learn to comfort

others." Sandra gasped. "A friend read that passage

to me and I was furious! I guess the truth is, I don't

want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with

God." She started to ask Jenny to "go on" when

the door's bell diverted their attention.

"Hey, Phil!" shouted Jenny as a balding, rotund

man entered the shop. She softly touched Sandra's

arm and moved to welcome him. He tucked her

under his side for a warm hug. "I'm here for

twelve thorny long-stemmed stems!" Phil laughed,

heartily. "I figured as much," said Jenny. "I've

got them ready." She lifted a tissue-wrapped

arrangement from the refrigerated cabinet.

"Beautiful," said Phil. "My wife will love them."

Sandra could not resist asking, "These are for

your wife?" Phil saw that Sandra's curiosity

matched his when he first heard of a Thorn

Bouquet. "Do you mind me asking, Why thorns?"

"In fact, I'm glad you asked," He said. "Four years

ago my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty

years, we were in a real mess, but we slogged

through, problem by rotten problem. We rescued

our marriage - our love, really. Last year, at

Thanksgiving, I stopped in here for flowers. I

must have mentioned surviving a tough process

because Jenny told me that for a long time she

kept a vase of rose stems --- stems! --- As a reminder

of what she learned from 'thorny' times. That was

good enough for me. I took home stems. My

wife and I decided to label each one for a specific

thorny situation and give thanks for what the

problem taught us. I'm pretty sure this stem review

is becoming a tradition." Phil paid Jenny, thanked

her again and as he left, said to Sandra, "I highly

recommend the Special!"

"I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in

my life, " Sandra said to Jenny. "Well, my experience

says that thorns make roses more precious. We

treasure God's providential care more during trouble

than at any other time. Remember, Sandra, Jesus

wore a crown of thorns so that we might know His

love. Do not resent thorns." Tears rolled down

Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident,

she loosened her grip on resentment. "I'll take

twelve long-stemmed thorns, please." "I hoped you

would, " Jenny said. "I'll have them ready in a

minute. Then, every time you see them, remember

to appreciate both the good and hard times. We grow

through both." "Thank you. What do I owe you?"

"Nothing. Nothing but a pledge to work toward

healing your heart. The first year's arrangement is

always on me."

Jenny handed a card to Sandra. "I'll attach a card like

this to your arrangement but maybe you'd like to

read it first. Go ahead, read it." My God, I have

never thanked Thee for my thorn! I have thanked

Thee a thousand times for my roses, but never

once for my thorn. Teach me the glory of the cross

I bear, teach me the value of my thorns. Show me

that I have climbed to Thee by the path of pain. Show

me that my tears have made my rainbow."

May God Bless YOU and YOURS on this

Thanksgiving Day!

Much love.

Larry