Flowers

The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. (see James 1:11)

I lost a dear friend a week ago. I found out today the cause of her death- she slept and didn't wake up.

At first, I decided not to ask about the cause. I was hoping it was a peaceful passing-- with no pain or anguish, with no sorrow in her last moments, with no reason to doubt God's existence-- and it was.

Daisy was a blessing. In the first year of secondary school, she was introduced to me as my elder sister's classmate and quickly became a dear friend. They were both aspiring to be senior prefects; Daisy was put in charge of my year, and my sister was in charge of another year. I knew Daisy was looking after me to make sure I had "junior girl life" easier than most of my peers had. She would come to help me arrange my locker ready for inspection, make sure my provisions were intact and my bed well-laid. She would come with my sister at bedtime, and they would make sure I had all that I needed for the morning. I really was spoiled. She became my class supervisor during study-time, "prep" as we called it, and I would show off to others that she was a friend by asking her help with my homework, and she was willing to help.


I felt happy around her. She would have a chat with me when I went by her class- the girls in SS2X terrified me but when she was there, I felt at ease. Her smile was so beautiful, her kind-heart beaming through.
We lost touch after she graduated and were reconnected on Facebook a few years ago. I wish now that I had reached out more than I did, for I know she had gone through difficult times in recent years.

One thing I will NEVER forget about Daisy is her resilience and determination. She appreciated life and was always grateful to God for it. She shared her joys and her sorrows, her highs and lows, and mostly her love for Christ and His works in her life.

The life she lived gives us an assurance, that as we mourn her loss, she is rejoicing that she has beheld her great reward- Christ in His glory.

But I, as I am still on earth, must be called to put life in context. My life is like a mist that appears for a while and vanishes. Like the flower that blooms, faces the heat of the sun, and then withers. Time is short on this earth.

So, the next time I am making huge plans and filling in my calendar, the next time I am saving up to fulfil a goal, the next time I look to the future and talk about it like it is certain, I must remember: My friend, the flowers, the mist. We are only here for a little while and then we shall all fade away.

Daisy's blog: https://daisynem.wordpress.com/
Photo credit: Photos by FeyVored