THE FLOWER THEREOF FALLETH AWAY
I often write about my parents so I thought I’d post some photos. It was one year ago today that my mother had her second stroke. After spending a month in the hospital, she went to be witht the Lord. My father is still alive, and is 91 years old. Some, like my parents, live to reach old age. Other’s don’t. But even if we do live to be old, our lives are as a flower that falleth away, and we need to prepare for eternity.
click photos to enlarge
The first photo is my mother on her wedding day, January 10th, 1947.
The second photo is of my mother, taken in November 10th, 2006, four months before her death. It was her 89th birthday. She had a joyful look upon her face even though she suffered much.
The third photo is of both my parents when they were living in the nursing home together.
The fourth photo is of my father when he was drafted into the Italian army during WW2. After the war he immigrated to the United States and became a U.S. citizen.
The fifth photo is of my parents and I together, during one of my visits to the nursing home. It was taken in September 2006, and the cake on the tray is a birthday cake for my father’s 90th birthday.
(Psalms 103:15-16) As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
(1 Peter 1:24) For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
(James 4:14) Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
(Isaiah 40:6-8 ) The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
Hi Cathy,
Lovely photos. Thanks for the verses below they are a perfect reminder of how fleeting and fragile life is. Below is something I came across. I just disagree with the first line. We should not wait for our final days to live at peace with all, we should be doing so at all times, but oh, how hard it seems sometimes when self will takes over. If wasn’t for the grace of God we would all perish. God is good-all the time.
Keep blogging.
God Bless
Akela
Hi Akela,
Thanks for taking the time to post a comment. I couldn’t agree with you more. And it is so true what you say . . .
It truly is a battle isn’t it? I think the Lord brings us to that point so we understand that He is our strength. May we, like Paul, say . . . “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:10
Blessings,
Wonderful photos Cathy. I love looking at old family pictures…mine or other peoples.
There is something bitter-sweet about old photos; like you wrote, our lives are like a flower that fades and falleth away, and we need to prepare for eternity.Old photos can remind us of that reality…
I was struck by the date of your Mom’s wedding photo, January 10th, 1947.
My parents were married one month later, Feb. 10th, 1947. (then i came 10 months later, ahaha)
Yes, bitter-sweet, I know what you mean. Looking at photos is truly a lesson on how time changes things, and how temporary this life is. Isn’t that interesting that your parents were married a month later to the day. I came along in 1949