My mom’s favorite flower was the gardenia. I remember she used to wear one in her hair on festive occasions. She is no longer here, but for years my dad had a beautiful gardenia bush in his yard in her memory. Today we have one outside too; the blooms seem to peak around Mothers Day each May which brings many memories to mind.
Gardenias are the most potent smelling flowers I know. The pungent fragrance of just one flower can fill an entire room. The blooms don’t last very long. The smooth, ivory petals turn yellow, then brown. Too quickly they look dried up and ugly.
Funny thing about gardenias, long after the appearance of the flower starts to go downhill, the powerfully sweet odor is every bit as strong as it ever was.
Interesting thing about saints: long after the outward appearance begins to degenerate, due to aging, accidents, or disease, a glorious aroma still radiates to the world. The Spirit in our hearts never dies or disintegrates. And you can bet that when one leaves this world, there remains a sweet smelling fragrance. Long after.
That is good news.
Sally Ireland Kennedy,
© 2009 Irish Thursdays Weekly Devotionals, http://www.sallyikennedy.com