A Gift of Pink Tulips

It was a cold, gloomy morning when I left to do my grocery shopping. Although it was spring, the winter had been long and cold days lingered. As I made my way to the back of the store, I noticed a display of potted pink tulips. The bright flowers suddenly made the day seem less gloomy. At that moment, I heard in my mind a whisper: Get Sister Day the tulips.

Being fairly new in the ward, I thought, How foolish I will look standing with flowers on the doorstep of a sister I don’t really know. But the whisper seemed to get more insistent: Get Sister Day the tulips.

I picked up the flowers and looked at the price. This is crazy, I thought, and put them back and walked on. The farther I walked, the worse I felt. Finally I turned back, picked up a pot of tulips, and set them in my cart.

My heart was full, and I began to turn my thoughts to Sister Day, wondering if something was wrong. I finished my shopping and drove to her house. Sitting in the driveway for a moment, I couldn’t help but envision Sister Day coming to the door and saying, “Hello, Sister Ries. You bought me tulips? Why?” And I wouldn’t know what to say.

The walk to the door seemed long as I nervously held the pot of bright pink flowers in my hand. I rang the doorbell. When I asked for Sister Day, her young son said she was sleeping. I gave him the flowers and asked him to see that she received them.

That afternoon Sister Day called. “Are you the bearer of these blossoms?” she asked.

“I am,” I answered. Then, a bit nervous, I added, “But they’re not from me.”

“I know,” she replied. She went on to explain how she’d been depressed because of a lingering chronic illness and the long winter. Sometime earlier she had seen the tulips in the store, but she couldn’t bring herself to buy them. Now as she saw this special gift, her heart was lifted up and she knew Heavenly Father had encircled her in the arms of His love (see D&C 6:20).

I realized that day the special love our Father in Heaven has for each of us and that we can help meet each other’s needs and lift one another’s burdens if we are willing to respond to His direction.

Illustrated by Bethany Scow