It all comes together eventually....

I love spring. Actually I love all the seasons because I love change.  However, spring is one of my favorites.  It signals the end of the cold, drab months; when the landscapes are all brown and dormant; the birds are hiding someplace warm and the colorful flowers are yet to be seen. So when February brings those days of above average temps and warm sunshine, I am lulled into the false sense that surely Puxatawny Pete was incorrect. I tell my self, that these sort of days will be the norm and spring will come early this year! By February I have cleared the house of all the clutter from the holidays; cleaned every closet and drawer, filled the dumpsters and delighted the nice people at Catholic Family Services with my trunk full of black trash bags bearing "what was I saving that size 6 dress for!" items. That's when I decide to pull out decor items that will brighten up the house with less drab colors.  This year I made a TJ Maxx run and added poppy laden dishes for the kitchen, bright new cup towels (as if I needed more); changed out some towels to spring hues and started to get than twinkle in my eye that the formal dining room table needed something "springier" for its center. This coming together began last Friday when my friend,Joanne, and I got together for one of our famous fun days. After lunch we made the usual round of must do errands sandwiched together with the new shops we wanted to check out. First stop was a western decor shop we had never been in. We are both traditional styled decor girls; but we are always into a challenge. There on a table with an almost halo aura set a gorgeous, just my color green, glass hurricane. The glass was thick with the look of hand blown.  Price was even reasonable (in my eyes, not Tommy's). I purchased it not having a clue what was going to finish it out.  Next stop was a new shop.  When I walked it, low and behold, the most gorgeous display of huge silk hydrangeas. Yep, in my favorite green hues with just a tiny hint of pink.  Perfect!!  Not even going to go there on the price of each single flower...but, they were huge; like none I had seen...I am practical so I decided on the least amount that would work and purchased them. Bringing my purchases home, my mind started to remember the things that I already had that would bring this centerpiece together.  Several years ago, this same friend and I had obviously splurged on our Christmas gifts to each other.  Purchasing them both at the same exact store. While she chose green (of course) glasses for me and I a cream apothecary jar for her new house; they both came gift wrapped in wonderful paper with a soft silk organza handmade bow and an attached cross with a tassel. This store is known for it's exquisite gift wrapping.  I saved the ribbon and tassel because I loved them. Why the tassel was so special I would have loved it alone for a gift. I displayed it different placed in the house and even placed the ribbon in a crystal bowl; just because I thought it was special. The stems needed to be shortened so all the pieces of this centerpieces had to wait for Tommy's strong hands to weld the big wire cutters. When he left for work this morning the "coming together" was ready for completion.  I am not artsy crafty; not the best decorator; however, I do have an eye and a heart for what goes together. Placed the stems in the hurricane; added some pale pinky cream left over ball ornaments to soften the effect of the bare stems at the bottom; retrieved the favorite ribbon and tied the stems together so they wouldn't "flop" apart; took the cross tassel and secured it with the ribbon so it would hang at just the right length over the edge of the hurricane; and stood back practically patting my own back!  There, after several years, was a wonderful creation. My heart is reminded of how God orchestrates our lives in just the same way.  So that it comes together eventually. Things happen, events occur, words are spoken; all at separate times. He knows best and all these things will come together in His time.  I doubt that He pats his back and does the cabbage dance like I did this morning; since He is not as surprised as I was that it all worked out great.  But I do believe that a smile crossed His face this morning. I realized that I had saved some of the decor items for some reason.  Maybe because Joanne gave them to me; maybe because they were my favorite color; maybe because the cross tassel reminded me of the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for me on the cross and the sacrifice God made in giving up His Son. And most of all I saved them because God had a plan for me.....A plan that on this day that centerpiece would come together and bring me joy;  and a plan for all of us before the beginning of time His Son would die for our sins and we could enjoy eternal life......Blessings, Martha

"For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome."

Jeremiah 29:11