I spent the week before my daughter's June   wedding

  running last-minute trips to the caterer, florist,

  tuxedo shop, and the church about forty miles  away.

As happy as I was that Patsy was marrying a good

  Christian young man, I felt laden with

  responsibilities as I watched my budget dwindle.

So many details, so many bills, and so little time.

My son Jack was away at college, but he  said

  he would be there to walk his younger sister   down

  the aisle, taking the place of his dad who had   died

  a few years before. He teased Patsy, saying he'd

  wanted to give her away since she was about three years old!

  To save money, I gathered blossoms from several

  friends who had large magnolia trees.. Their

  luscious, creamy-white blooms and slick green  eaves

  would make beautiful arrangements against the rich

  dark wood inside the church.

  After the rehearsal dinner the night before the

  wedding, we banked the podium area and choir  loft

  with magnolias. As we left just before midnight,  I

  felt tired but satisfied this would be the best

  wedding any bride had ever had! The music, the

  ceremony, the reception - and especially the

  flowers - would be remembered for years.

  The big day arrived - the busiest day of my life   -

  and while her bridesmaids helped Patsy to dress,  her

  fiancé Tim walked with me to the sanctuary to do a

  final check.. When we opened the door and felt a

  rush of hot air, I almost fainted; and then I  saw

  them - all the beautiful white flowers were black.

  Funeral black. An electrical storm during the   night

  had knocked out the air conditioning system, and  on

 that hot summer day, the flowers had wilted and died.

I panicked, knowing I didn't have time to drive  back

  to our hometown, gather more flowers, and return  in

  time for the wedding.

  Tim turned to me. 'Edna, can you get more  flowers?

  I'll throw away these dead ones and put fresh

  flowers in these arrangements.'

  I mumbled, 'Sure,' as he be-bopped down the hall  to

  put on his cuff links.

  Alone in the large sanctuary, I looked up at the

  dark wooden beams in the arched ceiling. 'Lord,'   I

  prayed, 'please help me. I don't know anyone in

  this town. Help me find someone willing to give  me

  flowers - in a hurry!' I scurried out praying  for

  four things: the blessing of white magnolias,

  courage to find them in an unfamiliar yard,   safety

  from any dog that may bite my leg, and a nice   person

  who would not get out a shotgun when I asked to  cut

  his tree to shreds.

  As I left the church, I saw magnolia trees in  the

  distance. I approached a house...No dog in  sight.

  knocked on the door and an older man answered.   So

  far so good. No shotgun. When I stated my plea

  the man beamed, 'I'd be happy to!'

  He climbed a stepladder and cut large boughs and

  handed them down to me. Minutes later, as I   lifted

  the last armload into my car trunk, I said,   'Sir,

  you've made the mother of a bride happy today.'

  No, Ma'am,' he said. 'You don't understand  what's

  happening here.'

   'What?' I asked.

    'You see, my wife of sixty-seven years died on

  Monday. On Tuesday I received friends at the

  funeral home, and on Wednesday . . . He paused.   I

  saw tears welling up in his eyes. 'On Wednesday  I

  buried her.' He looked away. 'On Thursday most  of

  my out-of-town relatives went back home, and on

  Friday - yesterday - my children left.'

   I nodded.

  'This morning,' he continued, 'I was sitting in  my

  den crying out loud. I miss her so much. For the

  last sixteen years, as her health got worse, she

  needed me. But now nobody needs me. This morning  I

  cried, 'Who needs an eighty-six-year-old  wore-out

  man? Nobody!' I began to cry louder. 'Nobody  needs

  me!' About that time, you knocked, and said,  

'Sir, I need you.'

   I stood with my mouth open.

  He asked, 'Are you an angel? The way the light shone

  around your head into my dark living room...'

   I assured him I was no angel.

  He smiled. 'Do you know what I was thinking when  I

  handed you those magnolias?'

 'No.' 

  'I decided I'm needed. My flowers are needed.   Why,

  I might have a flower ministry! I could give  them

  to everyone! Some caskets at the funeral home  have

  no flowers. People need flowers at times like  that

  and I have lots of them. They're all over the

  backyard! I can give them to hospitals, churches   -

  all sorts of places. You know what I'm going to  do?

  I'm going to serve the Lord until the day He calls

  me home!'

  I drove back to the church, filled with wonder.   On

  Patsy's wedding day, if anyone had asked me to

  encourage someone who was hurting, I would have

  said, 'Forget it! It's my only daughter's wedding,

  for goodness' sake! There is no way I can  minister

  to anyone today.'

  But God found a way. Through dead flowers.

   'Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the

  way it is. The way you cope with it is what  makes

  the difference.'

If you have missed knowing me, you have missed  nothing.

If you have missed some of my emails, you may  have missed a laugh.

But, if you have missed knowing my LORD and  SAVIOR, JESUS

CHRIST, you have missed everything in the world.

May God's blessings be upon you.

THIS IS SO TRUE, BEING NEEDED IS SO UPLIFTING TO  EACH OF US.

  This story is too beautiful not to share...