The Story of the Magnolia Tree

Lynda went to live at the North Mississippi Regional Center (NMRC) in Oxford, Mississippi on May 29, 1992.  She had been on the waiting list for many years so that when she aged out of the public school system, we could begin the transition.  Lynda was able to attend school until she was almost 22 because of having a September birthday so at the end of her 21st year, she continued to attend Scott Center during the day for school and then rode the bus to NMRC.  This made the transition easier for all of us but it still wasn't like having Lynda at home every night.

A few days after she went to NMRC, I was walking outside in the yard thinking about Lynda.  I walked around to where "Lynda's window" looked out on the backyard.  Larry's mom had passed away in 1990 and we had been given a little magnolia tree to plant in her memory.  Larry and I decided to plant it outside of Lynda's room so as she stood playing by the window she could watch it grow.  Now the tree was two years old and had never had a single bloom.  As I rounded the corner I saw it.  One big, white blossom on Lynda's tree!  It had never bloomed before AND it never had another blossom during the next ten years we lived there.

God uses children who cannot even speak to teach powerful lessons.  He used a simple magnolia blossom to bring peace to my soul.  I knew immediately what that blossom meant and I thank God that He is never too busy to calm our fears and quiet our hearts.

I don't live at that house anymore.  I don't know if the magnolia tree is still there or not.  It doesn't matter because I don't need a sign that she's okay.  All I have to know is that she's with Jesus and she's not just okay...she's perfect in every way!

After writing this, we went to NMRC to pick up Lynda's things and as we crossed the bridge onto campus I just happened to glance over to the right.  There in a grove of trees at a distance stood a giant magnolia tree.  On the magnolia tree there was one beautiful blossom.  I said to Russ, "You're not going to believe this but there's a magnolia tree and it just had one blossom on it, too."  So we stopped and took a picture and said a prayer of thanks to the God who uses everyday things to show His extraordinary presence in our lives.