Daily Devotional for October 2

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October 2                                                     Matthew 6:25-34

Outside my patio window, wine-colored impatiens and pink
begonias peek out for sunshine from a mass of ferns, Swedish
ivy and assorted other greenery.

In central Florida, gardens left as unattended as mine is become
lush from the summer rains and by autumn develop a mind
of their own. Still, the flowers in my garden hold special
memories. Most began as cuttings from friends' gardens or as
castoffs from neighbors who were moving back north.

Amid the tangled garden, I see the vine that began as a leaf
snipped off by my friend J. T. from a plant at Cypress Gardens.
I see Jeff's bromeliad and Henry's ivy. And I smile, remember-
ing their laughter and their hugs.

The three friends are gone now. AIDS claimed J.T. and Jeff.
Unable to bear his grief, Henry took his own life. They were
three men who lived, labored, and loved; three human beings
who touched the lives of others before giving up their own
lives.

While they lived, they struggled as all people struggle. J. T. fuss-
ed about his appearance and mothered a hopelessly neurotic
collie. Jeff worried about Henry. Henry worried about Jeff.
And together, Henry and Jeff built a beautiful home.

Their struggles are over. I thank God for that. And I smile,
knowing my friends are with Christ. But still, I can't help but
marvel at how fragile life is. How futile it is to worry about
tomorrow when our lives can end even before winter's cold
destroys our gardens.

"Seek first the realm of God," Christ says. The message is clear.
The needs of our short lives will be met by a gracious and lov-
ing Heavenly Parent. Our concern should lie with our souls.
For unlike our present life, our souls are eternal.

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From The Road to Emmaus - An inclusive devotional Edited by Joseph W. Houle

Emmaus House of Prayer - Washington D.C.1989