Make every petal count

by Barbara @ Praying for Grace

Our dearest Margaret has asked me to do a guest post for her today.

If you know Margaret, you know she has a great appreciation for the Lenten season. As she does with most things in life, she embraces Lent, with all her 60-inch being (60 inches…in shoes).

That makes her most unique, if you ask me, as there are not many folks who embrace the penance and sacrifice that Lent brings. I think at the root of Margaret’s appreciation for all that is Lent is one of the many beautiful things at the root of being a real Christian – Lent offers us a time to think about something other than our own small lives. Lent reminds us that we are so much more than me.
We, in all our sinfulness, are recipients of Divine Love poured out over the earth — Jesus’ own precious blood poured out over the dirt on Calvary. As Our Lord died on the cross, he shed His blood, and His Divine Love, with no one there to receive it, or appreciate it. Yet still, it poured out, for all, even the vilest sinners.

Lent provides us with a unique time to contemplate Divine Love – to accept it, and reflect it. St. Thérèse of Lisieux offers us such a simple manner in which to share in Divine Love with each small act of suffering and sacrifice — her little flowers, her little ways. As mothers, and as fathers, every moment of every day provides us with petals of sacrificial flowers. In each petal is a drop of Our Lord’s precious blood. This Lenten season, receive each precious drop and rejoice that you saved it from falling on barren ground.
“O my Beloved, how shall I show my love, since love proves itself by deeds? I have no other means of proving my love than to strew flowers, and these flowers will be each word and look, each little daily sacrifice. I wish to make profit out of the smallest actions and to do them all for Love. For Love’s sake I wish to suffer and to rejoice: so shall I strew my flowers. Not one that I see but, singing all the while, I will scatter its petals before You. Should my roses be gathered from amid thorns, I will sing notwithstanding; and the longer and sharper the thorns, the sweeter will grow my song” (St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Story of a Soul, 13).