Sunday Best

Every Sunday on our way to church, my wife, Jean, would make me stop and pick up a red rose to pin to the lapel of my suit coat. I always volunteered to be an usher for the service, and my wife wanted to make sure I “looked my best”. It did not really matter to me, but it made her happy and so it became our Sunday tradition. One recent Sunday, however, what I considered ordinary, became very special.

As Jean and I were leaving the Sunday service a young boy approached me and said, "Sir, what are you going to do with your flower?" At first I did not know what he was talking about, but then I understood. I said, "Do you mean this?" as I pointed to the rose pinned to my coat.

He said, "Yes sir. I would like it if you are just going to throw it away." The little boy said, "Sir, I'm going to give it to my grandma. She is very sick and my family and I are going to stop and see her in the hospital on our way home. She just loves flowers and I want to bring her one to make her smile and so she remembers that I love her."

When the little boy finished I could hardly speak. I reached up and unpinned the rose from my jacket. With the flower in hand, I looked at the boy and said, "What a wonderful grandson you are. But this single flower is not enough for such a special grandma. If you'll look in front of the pulpit, you'll see a big bouquet of flowers. Different families buy them for the church each week. Let’s go up and get those flowers to take to your grandma too because she deserves the very best."

The boy sweetly replied, "What a wonderful day! I prayed for one flower for my grandma, but got a whole bouquet."

 -Author Unknown