Flowers...Oh, how Janet loves flowers! All kinds. In fact, her favorite flower is the one that blooms that moment in front of her! The colors, shades, textures, shapes, perfumes...all delights in the garden. Even this bleak winter she had a 'garden' right in the condo, in front of the west window...an assortment of red cacti, lavender orchid, red lily, pink/yellow/orange kalanchoe, and red poinsettia. Friends were amazed and commented on her brightly blooming winter garden.
And now that the milder spring temperatures had arrived, she was excited when Diana gave her a birthday present of pansies. What delighted her even more is that she was able to plant them herself in several containers on the condo deck and porch. True, with one hand, but she did it! Even the surprise spring 2 inch snowfall did them no harm. Hardy plants, they seem to poke their smiling faces up toward the sun in spite of below freezing temps.
She had always loved those sweet smiling pansies. Her mother told her that as a young child, Janet would walk around the neighborhood in Ridgefield Park, NJ and insist on greeting each friendly pansy plant. Yellow, blue, maroon and white...pansies never cease smiling.
How wonderful that God gives us these gifts in nature to remind us to keep a happy expression on our faces. Janet realized that her smile usually caused a smile in return. And that always made her feel better!
A few nights ago she thought about a lady she had seen at church in a wheelchair. She did not know the lady, did not know anything about her physical circumstances, but when Janet first saw her she immediately felt drawn to her. Janet knew the pain and the stigma of physical handicap, had experienced the stares, the questioning looks, the awkward turning away, the troubled expressions....but, rarely, the welcoming, accepting smile. Janet's history of a wheelchair lasted from July, 2010 to Palm Sunday, April, 1011 when she insisted in storing it away. Even though her walking was not the best, she was determined to 'work at walking' and force her body to improve. Fortunately, her healing continued and she is thankful to God for that miracle. But, having had the experience in a wheelchair she now was very conscious how that feels.
She knew she had to make a difference in the lives of the handicapped. The following Sunday, she was exiting the church, when Janet found herself next to the lady in the wheelchair. Amazed, Janet thought, "Here I am, closer to her than I've ever been....no one around to bother me. Now's my chance." She slowly walked with her cane over to the wheelchair, greeted the woman with a smile and said, "Good morning, I just want you to know I think you are beautiful!"
The lady was overwhelmed, her face lit up, and she gave a broad happy smile in return. She appeared radiant and utterly thankful.
Janet continued. "I suffered with brain cancer, but the Lord has blessed me." Squeezing her arm, Janet added, "May the Lord bless you." Another exchange of smiles, then the moment ended.
"Oh, did that make me feel good!" Janet told herself. A confirmation of smiling and reaching out to those who probably feel 'passed over'. She wanted to shout to everyone how important it is not to focus on one's handicaps but accept them, reach out to others and give others a smile of encouragement.
Now that she walked with a cane, Janet knew people probably said when they saw her, "What's the matter with her?" But Janet also discovered that by engaging people with a smile and conversation, people ignored the cane. She had also discovered that everyone has some kind of problem...physical, emotional, mental, interpersonal, financial, medical...and yet people hide these personal problems and continue living their lives. Yes, she knew, we are all imperfect! And she wanted people to love and respect her, in spite of her cane. So the least she could do is love others with all their imperfections.
Smiling costs nothing. But smiling is a gift of love to someone else.
"One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked Him, 'Of all the commandments, which is the most important?'
'The most important one.' answered Jesus, 'is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.'" Mark 12:28-31
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