Guest post by author Lauri Lemke Thompson
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (NIV).
I bought a $2 poinsettia plant at Walmart the day after Christmas. The first day of spring passed, and the bright red plant was still blooming its little heart out. Outdoors, daffodils and tulips had already peaked, and redbuds and dogwoods were all abloom. Stores were filled with Easter baskets, bunnies and bonnets. Well, okay, so maybe not bonnets.
The plant said “never mind” to all this spring hoopla, insisting on touting Christmas. Tiny reddish-green leaves appeared often – leaves that gradually turned to brilliant scarlet. Spring brought on a growth spurt.
I followed no elaborate instructions to keep this thing alive. I did nothing except set it on a sunny counter and douse it with water every four days. Whenever I threw away a dead leaf, the plant hurried to replace it with two.
Thriving, this Christmas symbol showed no respect for our calendar. It did not recognize that it had been nearly three months since the Christmas spirit of we homo sapiens had wilted, and that we were full throttle toward spring fever.
Almost daily I thought “I really should throw that thing in the trash. It looks silly.” But because I love all things botanical that demonstrate a love for life (except weeds), it stayed in my kitchen.
Perhaps my stubborn poinsettia was meant to be a reminder.
As we made our Easter breakfast reservations, I pondered that the glory we anticipate on Easter did not happen without the pain of Lent. And Lent was preceded by Christmas – Christmas, which is joyful and celebratory like Easter, but which carries with it a message of sacrifice.
Our Savior left a perfect Heaven for a grungy stable. The cross shadowed His cradle before the sun shone on His empty tomb. All – Christmas, Lent and Easter – are part of God’s redemptive plan for humankind.
Here’s what I determined to do about my poinsettia that year: “I will do all I can to keep it alive until Easter. Then – on that very special Sunday, I will trash it.
“But only after I take a moment to contemplate that those scarlet leaf points represent drops of blood my Savior shed for me. I will remember the scourges, the thorns, the nails and the sword – for they all drew blood. Blood drops were sown in soil that produced Easter lilies.
“Then I will set my new Easter plant on the counter beside the brave Christmas plant. I will gaze at both: the vivid crimson beside the pure white. And I will be grateful for how the two combine to tell the whole story, and what an amazing story it is: a true one, and one that offers victory and eternal life to all.
“Then, before the Easter ham – to avoid being called a crazy lady – into the garbage can at last will go that spunky poinsettia, having served its purpose extremely well.”
And that’s exactly what I did.
I pray for you, dear reader, to fully grasp the love God demonstrated for us when he came to earth, suffered, died and rose from the dead.
A Wisconsin native, Lauri Lemke Thompson appreciates living with her husband in the lovely Ozark mountains in Branson, Missouri. She is active in Christian Women’s Connection (Stonecroft) and the Ozarks Chapter of the American Christian Writers. Her two books, Hitting Pause and Pressing Forward, are collections of her articles and devotions. Her bimonthly column appears in the Branson Globe newspaper.