Flowers from Heaven

Last week I had unused roses. It happens often in this business. I bring in enough roses for orders, and a bit more besides, just in case!

Several times, I’d post free roses for the members of my local “Flash Gives” community. With instructions to, “Take the Roses. Leave the Buckets,” folks would scoop up the flowers so fast, resulting in some happy neighbors, and a few sad ones. Since tired roses have little life left, I don’t feel badly for the people who don’t receive. But I avoid the guilt of tossing roses!

On this occasion, the roses are still quite beautiful, with lots of life left in them. I ask Heaven what to do.

“Make a Decade Rosary and send it to Kelley in Texas.”

There used to be a time when my heart wasn’t quiet enough to hear an answer from heaven. Another blog post, perhaps. This answer is fast and clear.

She’s my very first online customer, from two years ago, and I know she’ll appreciate the gift. (You can read her story here). Plus, I’m thinking about the health and well-being of her family, self-employed in a “non-essential” profession, with two high-school aged daughters sheltering at home.

I get busy, prayerfully create it, box and label it, and drop it off at the local FedEx store 15 minutes before the truck departs. She’ll receive it in the morning, and call me so excited! I know it!

But she doesn’t. Texas time is two hours later than Washington time. It’s afternoon there. I’m going to text her!

I wrote:

“Hi Kelley, I sent you a little something. Did you get it?”

When she calls back, I hear shouts and screaming.

“Julia, you won’t believe this, but our daughters just finished a nine-day Novena to St. Therese! They’ve been asking me, ‘Mom, how will she send us a rose, since we’ve been in quarantine?'”

This Novena is supposed to come with an answer — a sign of roses on the ninth day. This is the package they open on arrival:

Heaven’s timing is perfect. I’m delighted for my dear customer and her family. Their prayers, and faithfulness, are noticed by God, and the dear little saint, Therese, got her chance to deliver.

I imagine her running to her sainted parents, Louis and Zelie Martin, and gleefully boasting, in her good-humored, melodic voice,

“Mama and Papa, look what I have done today! I sent a red rose rosary to some 16 year-old twin sisters in America!”

The family draped the rosary upon an antique crucifix, encircling the image of Jesus in fresh beautiful, red roses. Like this:

Kelley wrote about the experience for this Catholic Women’s Blog, “Mighty is Her Call. I will insert the link when it’s posted, so you can see the story from her eyes.

For anyone who wants to make a Novena to the Little Flower, here is the prayer:

O Little Therese of the Child Jesus
Please pick for me a rose
from the heavenly garden
and send it to me
as a message of love.

O Little Flower of Jesus,
ask God to grant the favors
I now place with confidence
in you hands
( mention your special prayer request here )

St. Therese, help me to always believe
as you did, in God’s great love for me,
so that I may imitate your “Little Way” each day. 
Amen.

Thank you St. Therese, for doing your thing, and being altogether darling in the way you share God’s love with the world.

Learn more about St. Therese at this website.