The Word of God – “…my peace I give unto you… let not your heart be troubled.” John 14:27
As a small child in Sweden, I had a playmate, Siv. We loved to play in the garden near the magnolia tree, not much bigger than a bush. The moderate climate of the southern coast and a sunny location out of the wind gave the tree enough sustenance. We were drawn to those sweet petals, and as they fell, we stacked them and tossed them into the air and used them for dishes and anything else our imaginations would bring.
In the winter of 1949, Siv dies of pneumonia. She was six years old. The garden never seemed the same, and as the magnolia petals fell, they lay still on the ground.
Many years later, on a visit to Sweden, I decided to return to my childhood home. My parents were gone, and strangers allowed me into the garden. There in the sunlight stood the magnolia tree, 20 feet tall, covered in white blossoms with just a breath of pink. The fragrance brought me back, and I envisioned Siv, her strawberry curls dancing, and magnolia petals floating in the air.
When the woes of life o’er take me,
Hopes deceive and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me,
Lo, it glows with peace and joy.-Hymn 427 – LSB
Prayer: We know that years have no meaning for you, dear Lord. You are always ready to embrace, renew, and comfort us as we cast our suffering upon the cross. Grant us your healing, Lord, until the day when our own crosses fall away, and we live in your resurrection forever. Amen.
-Lis Mundinger