Seasons of Change
“He changes times and seasons.”
Daniel 2:21 (NIV)
My first fall foliage sighting took me by surprise last week. The last Saturday in September was a beautiful cloudless day with Alabama temperatures in the low 80s. It still felt like summer, but the colorful tree was a visual reminder that there are seasons in both nature and life. Time marches on and there are seasons of change. Thankfully we have a God who doesn’t (Psalm 55:19).
“Seasons” has been my sacred echo over the last few weeks. As a family, we’ve experienced several new seasons this year, not the least of which has been a season of grief following James Bruce’s death in February. But there has also been a season of joy with Olivia and Daniel’s summer move from New York to Birmingham and Robert’s first football season as a head coach.
Some seasons of change deserve a celebration. That was certainly the case for our church Flower Guild last week as we celebrated 34 years of Dean Hodge’s faithful service with a retirement reception. Dean hasn’t just served as our Guild Director; she has taught and mentored dozens of women; helped countless families with wedding and funeral flowers; blessed our church with beauty and bounty; and is finishing well.
Seventeen years ago, I finally got up enough courage to join the Flower Guild. Growing up as a steelworker's daughter, there was never enough money for extras like flowers. Between union strikes, recessions, and plant layoffs, my parents’ paychecks were designated for the essentials of housing and food.
Each Sunday I admired the stunning floral arrangements in our church sanctuary and foyer. I honestly couldn’t imagine creating something so beautiful. One Sunday morning I saw a church bulletin announcement that the Flower Guild membership was open. The Guild was hosting a free floral design workshop for potential new members. Attending a floral workshop was definitely out of my comfort zone, but the desire to learn eventually conquered my insecurity and fear.
I was hooked from the very beginning. It wasn't just the beautiful flowers themselves. I was also drawn to the friendship, camaraderie, teamwork, and fellowship of the women who crafted the arrangements. Even after I explained that I knew nothing about flowers, the women graciously replied, "We'll teach you." And, oh, how they taught!
Dean Hodge was my main teacher. She hosted workshops for simple table arrangements; Christmas wreaths and mailbox saddles; wedding and funeral flowers. She taught us about container selections, floral lines, greenery fillers, and so much more. Dean broke down intricate designs into doable tasks and taught with skill and patience. Much like discipleship, Dean taught using the “Know-Show-Do” method and called us her “girls!”
Initially I was a nervous wreck over cutting flowers, especially the more expensive ones like roses and lilies. Someone finally said, "It's like swimming. Eventually you have to get in the pool if you're ever going to learn to swim. CUT and STICK!" And with that, I nervously cut my first rose.
Those "expensive" floral arrangements that I was sure cost our church a lot of money are more often than not, cuttings from someone's personal garden or leftover/re-purposed flowers from a funeral or wedding arrangement. Flowers used for one event are usually given a fresh cut and placed in our flower coolers to be used in bud vases for our shut-in ministry. Much like the young boy’s loaves and fishes in John 6, our Flower Guild ministry “gathers up the pieces that nothing will be lost.” (John 6:12)
Joining the Flower Guild was one of the best decisions I ever made. Through the years, I've learned a little bit more about floral design and arranging, but those aren't my most important takeaways from my time with our Flower Guild. Stewardship, community, fellowship, service, and mentoring are some of the most important lessons that I've gleaned from my time with these women.
Author Tim Challies’ words are fitting for this season of change. He writes, “One of the ministries that is key to the functioning of the local church and to advancement in the Christian life is also one of the most overlooked. It is the simplest of all ministries and the least formal, a ministry that each of us is equipped to carry out. It is the ministry of being just a little but further along.”
Dean Hodge was actually a lot further along, but she diligently brought a host of other women a little bit further along all for the glory of God.
Thank you, Dean, for your long season of faithful service!