Although no one really knows what heaven will look like or what we will feel like when we experience such unadulterated joy, we all have our own ideas about what it may be like. Our human ideas can't even compare to heaven's reality, I'm certain, but since that is all we have to work with, we imagine.
If I asked 100 people what their 'earthly' image of heaven would be, I would undoubtedly get 100 different answers.
Some would want to see their furry friends there, others would say the ocean or beautiful music. For me, I think it would have to be flowers. Beautiful, lush; all varieties of flowers.
If I asked 100 people what their 'earthly' image of heaven would be, I would undoubtedly get 100 different answers.
Some would want to see their furry friends there, others would say the ocean or beautiful music. For me, I think it would have to be flowers. Beautiful, lush; all varieties of flowers.
I don't know that I was enamored with flowers when I was a kid, but my mother had lots of flowers in her yard and garden. Most of hers were perennials: I don't remember her buying or planting many annuals; maybe a few petunias or snapdragons. She was a great 'seed-saver.' I can still see the little envelopes she would keep seeds in and then plant them in the spring. There were no hanging baskets at our house; I don't think that was a popular way to grow flowers in the 40s and 50s.
I can see the front porch with a huge bed of red flowers, (see picture below) around it. Mom called them firecrackers or mint plants, because they bloomed around the 4th of July and smelled like mint, I guess.
I can see the front porch with a huge bed of red flowers, (see picture below) around it. Mom called them firecrackers or mint plants, because they bloomed around the 4th of July and smelled like mint, I guess.
Our yard had lilac bushes and all the spring flowers; hyacinths, tulips, crocus and forsythia bushes. Then later, there were rows of iris, peonies and daisies. And out by the chicken house and around the outhouse, there were lots and lots of hollyhocks.
Mom's delphiniums were very tall and the rows of gladiolas were beautiful. When she and Dad moved to Fort Wayne and she had a large yard but not acres, she still had lots of flowers. She brought many varieties with her after digging some 'starts' up from her country garden. I think the flowers were the hardest thing for her to leave behind when they moved
Mom's delphiniums were very tall and the rows of gladiolas were beautiful. When she and Dad moved to Fort Wayne and she had a large yard but not acres, she still had lots of flowers. She brought many varieties with her after digging some 'starts' up from her country garden. I think the flowers were the hardest thing for her to leave behind when they moved
Then when they moved one more time, to Columbia City, she once again moved some flowers with her. My Amish friend, Rosemary, always had rows of flowers growing in her garden, also, amidst the vegetables. I think the beauty and color of the flowers was a bright spot in her world where bright colors aren't worn in clothing.
I remember reading about the families who went West in covered wagons. Many times, the rose bushes were dug up and the roots wrapped in wet burlap so they would hopefully, survive until the family reached their destination.
My sister is a very talented "flower lady." She would laugh if she read that, but when they lived in Illinois, on a large corner lot, people would purposely walk by her yard to enjoy her seemingly endless variety of beautiful flowers. They lived there for forty-plus years and she was always adding new species. Two years ago, they moved to a different house and like my mother, I think for my sister, her flowers were the hardest thing to leave behind.
So, back to my original premise about heaven. For me, when I enter Stuckey's Greenhouse, on Tyler Avenue in Fort Wayne, which is close to my house, I feel like I have entered my earthly version of what heaven must be like. The colors, the smells, the luxuriant green foliage is overwhelming to me (in a good way). Of course, I want to purchase one or two of everything, but since that is impossible, I just walk up and down the aisles and inhale the beauty.
I remember reading about the families who went West in covered wagons. Many times, the rose bushes were dug up and the roots wrapped in wet burlap so they would hopefully, survive until the family reached their destination.
My sister is a very talented "flower lady." She would laugh if she read that, but when they lived in Illinois, on a large corner lot, people would purposely walk by her yard to enjoy her seemingly endless variety of beautiful flowers. They lived there for forty-plus years and she was always adding new species. Two years ago, they moved to a different house and like my mother, I think for my sister, her flowers were the hardest thing to leave behind.
So, back to my original premise about heaven. For me, when I enter Stuckey's Greenhouse, on Tyler Avenue in Fort Wayne, which is close to my house, I feel like I have entered my earthly version of what heaven must be like. The colors, the smells, the luxuriant green foliage is overwhelming to me (in a good way). Of course, I want to purchase one or two of everything, but since that is impossible, I just walk up and down the aisles and inhale the beauty.
My sister and I are collaborating on a book of devotions titled Devotions for Flower Lovers (or something similar). It will have 50 devotions, each one correlating to a familiar type of flower and a picture of said flower. A professional photographer has already taken the flower pictures and we have written a portion of the devotions. I am going to present the idea to a publisher at a writer's conference in June. We would appreciate it if you would add that to your prayer list if you have time.
NOTE: Stuckey's Greenhouses were kind enough to let us photograph their blooms for the book. I, nor my sister, own stock in Stuckey's nor are we related to the family in any way. There was no payment involved in my mention of their business.
NOTE: Stuckey's Greenhouses were kind enough to let us photograph their blooms for the book. I, nor my sister, own stock in Stuckey's nor are we related to the family in any way. There was no payment involved in my mention of their business.
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