By Virginia Benton
The plant consisted of one straight stem about a foot long with a hopeful bud at the top. After a confused survey of the plant I spoke to the young man who seemed, unavoidably, embarrassed to be handing this particular floral offering to me. I thanked him and he left the door with relief to get on with his next delivery, which I suspected would be more gratifying. I read the card and realized the gift was from a family whose son was a dear friend to my son, Blake. I fought back tears as I stood in humble amazement at the thoughtfulness and compassion offered to my family by so many friends and acquaintances in the community. 
This was to be the first Christmas without my 24-year-old son, having lost him to malignant brain cancer the summer before. Much dread and fear had shrouded the season and just getting through the holidays had been my desire.
The joy of the Christmas season seemed distant but I clung to God’s promise in Psalms 147:3, “He heals the brokenhearted, binding up their wounds.” I knew that my wounds of grief were being bound, however, wounds of grief are slow to heal and breakthrough bleeding is often inevitable. It is only the Great Physician, our heavenly father, who fully understands what medicine we need and just when to give it.
Because I had seen an Amaryllis plant, I knew this naked stalk had the potential to become something of beauty. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” God knew the perfect time for this lovely plant to live, to bloom and to die, just as He did my son, Blake. He knew the condition of my heart and that this Christmas season, my family and I needed a little something special to lift our broken spirits. 
I set the plant on the bar in the center of the kitchen and faithfully watered it every day. The family was amazed at the speed in which it grew and before long, not one, but four beautiful, enormous, red blossoms were growing profusely at the top of the now nearly 3 foot stem.  They were shockingly beautiful. The enormous red blooms lasted several days, hosting most of my pre-Christmas company and then started their painful decline right before Christmas Day. I had never enjoyed a plant more than this one and was so thankful for the sweet offering of joy given to my family at such a difficult time 
As the plant’s magnificent blossoms began to shrivel, I noticed large teardrops of red fluid were flowing from the very heart of each bloom, making quite a puddle on my countertop. I couldn’t help but think, “It’s like the plant is crying as it is dying.” I put the plant away with some comfort knowing that the bulbs could be replanted again and bring the beauty of its being to others in the future.
It was in the still of the night, which is often the case when God chooses to speak to us, that I was awakened with thoughts that I couldn’t shake about the amaryllis. It was because of this particular topic, a now deceased plant, that I knew this was a “God stop,” a moment when God says to us, “Hey, listen. This is Me and I need you to hear this.”
I was reminded about how Jesus came to us in the form of simplicity, like the Amaryllis, but because He was God’s son, grew into the magnificent Savior of the world. The tears of his death gave rise to glorious victory as Jesus rose from the grave on the third day and proclaimed victory over death. Life without hope was banished and we are assured that we, as Christians, will rise from the grave, also, and live on in the loving arms of our Savior and friend, Jesus Christ. 
In John 14:1-4, we are told by Jesus, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. I will come back and take you to be with me that you, also, may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
I thought about my son and the transformation God performed in his life as he was molded, sometimes painfully, and shaped into a handsome young man with a heart for serving others. He developed a strong belief in God that gave Blake an amazing peace that sustained him until God chose to take him home to that place He had already prepared, where my son could flourish in the fullest of bloom without any restriction of sin or imperfection.
There are no coincidences in the lives of a Christian. What we must know is that God is in control at all times. Yet, there are no promises that life will be easy and trials will not come.  Just as sure as there is a God, there is also sin in the world. Where there is sin, there is also pain.
The detours we encounter on our journey through life may be hard and discouraging.  However, God promises that His road map will not get us lost. The destination of heaven is straight ahead and there will always be amaryllis joys along the way to lighten our load.