Day Lilies in Bloom!

The day lilies bloomed today on Layton.

Since the first violets spread across the lawn in April and the forsythia burst into vibrant yellow, each flower in the yard has had its week or two "in the sun" on glorious display. Daffodils peeked through the cold earth, glad to have weathered the last of the frigid temperatures. Then the lily-of-the-valley crept around the backyard with their tiny white bells tinkling silently.

Three delicate pink azalea bushes proclaimed their survival through the bitter winter of the North while the lilacs popped wildly in deep purple and snowy white from overgrown trees bordering the yard. One hung heavily with flowers like a crop of ripe grapes ready for harvest. Their aroma wafted richly around the neighborhood.

No passerby could ignore the rhododendron, the "in-your-face" queen of spring blooms. Each flower the size of a small child's head, the purple-pink handfuls of loveliness dominated the yard's color scheme. Every yard seemed to boast a massive pile of rhodies.

Almost simultaneously, the pink roses joined the peonies in a glorious display. Nestled beside the peonies, testament to my poor planting judgment, the roses outdid themselves this year in size and quantity. The peonies, a last hold out from my grandmother's garden planted over fifty years ago here on Layton, boast a rare maroon shade that is nothing short of breathtaking. The peonies are the flower I await impatiently, perhaps because they represent my grandmother. The Chinese adore the peony. They know and appreciate imperial and royal beauty. Many of their scroll paintings feature peonies; I bought such a scroll on a visit to China, and I enjoy the image of a peony all year.Their beauty in my yard is short-lived. They often succumb to heavy rains that cause the luxurious petals to fall limply. Even the roses paled beside the peonies.

The elephant-ear hosta leaves spread three feet in every direction, a natural tent for my grandsons' hide-and-seek games. Tall shoots, bearing white flowers, begin to climb out of the depths of the hosta to open banner-like in early July. Next to the hosta the astilbe form a defensive front to the encroaching daisies, which cannot be contained. The gentle, pink plumes of the astilbe wave delicately, a driveway border and eye-catcher.

Summer is in full swing. The half-century old tiger lilies return for one more season, another inheritance from my grandmother's garden. The tiny buds on the tomato plants, zucchini, beans and peas look promising. August may bring a sweet harvest.

My gardens leave me in awe. Each year the cycle continues, unchanged, each flower taking the stage at its appointed time. The plan has never varied in my fifty years of observation. I consider the beauty, the constancy, the creativity and imagination in  the making of a flower, and I am convinced yet again of the presence of the Creator and His faithfulness and constancy. The flowers display His character - filled with beauty and goodness, exemplars of supreme creativity. In my garden I stand -  in awe of its Maker.

And today the day lilies bloomed!

And they bloom, as their name obviously suggests, just for a day. In the morning dew I check the garden and there they are - faces upturned, stretching their purple and cream or purplish-rust or neon yellow arms in every direction. Their beauty screams away at the corner of my house all day, demanding attention. But when the sun sets and the cool of night draws over the yard, the day lilies curl up and shrivel away. The next morning they are gone, replaced by the bud further down on the stem which, in its turn, now tilts its face upward and splashes its glory everywhere . . . for a day.

Psalm 144:4 says, "Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow." The day lilies remind me that our lives, in the scheme of history, are like a breath, blooming for a day and passing quickly from the earth. Day lilies adapt to various soil and light conditions, can survive in a wide range of climates, are suitable for all landscapes, and even tolerate drought. Are our lives facing the day with the same resilience and strength? Like the other flowers in my yard, the day lily's loveliness is not an accident. The Master Gardener tends His garden with provision and care; the day lily wisely rests in His sovereignty.

For our "moment in the sun," can we rest in our Maker's care? Can we trust Him to bring the sun, the rain, strength and resilience? For our moment in the sun, I pray that we can bloom like the day lily - face upturned, arms stretched in every direction, screaming gloriously a reflection of His beauty from our corner of the yard . . . 

On Layton.

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Book Review: Healing Hearts by Dr. Hisashi Nikaidoh, MD

Hope for Broken Hearts in

Healing Hearts by Dr. Hisashi Nikaidoh

with Janis Leibs Dworkis

Published by Ambassadors International, Greenville, SC

A gift, wrapped in tears and grief and enveloped in the love of God – this is the essence of Healing Hearts by Dr. Hisashi Nikaidoh.

The gift of this book comes not only from Dr. Nikaidoh but also from the eight mothers who have shared their stories and the stories of their children. Each of these women had a child with a traumatic heart situation which brought them under the care of Dr. Nikaidoh, a pediatric cardiologist. Each of them suffered extreme loss, grief, and pain at the death of their children. The death of their children plunged them into an abyss of grief but culminated, with time, in healing. Here is the hope of Healing Hearts: the excruciating pain of a child’s death does not have to consume and destroy a parent’s life.

Although Healing Hearts is a sad and difficult read, it is a necessary story. Parents of deceased children need this hope for their lives. They need to know that hope and joy are possible even after a tragic loss. Healing Hearts provides the inspiration we all need to experience hope in the face of pain and loss. The lesson gleaned from Dr. Nikaidoh and the women in this book is that hope can be found in giving and service to others. Their lives are proof.

Linda Balcioglu, Julie Williams, Linda Simpkins, Karen Ellis, Shanna Shields-Thomas, Marie Crowe, Lynette Dick and Liz Etzkorn exemplify the power of God to heal and turn ashes into beauty. Although the pain will never leave them completely, they have learned to manage their hurt by giving back to the world. Each of the eight women rises from the mire of grief by discovering that service to other human beings brings the salve of healing to their wounded hearts. Serving others - this is their common denominator.

Dr. Nikaidoh, who has spent over fifty years healing the hearts of his small patients, admits, "The medical profession will not be able to bring a physical cure to all patients, but God is not limited and will provide what we need." He credits the Great Physician and Healer for healing the hearts of these mothers . . . and his own.

A compassionate and caring doctor who wrote notes to the parents, visited their homes, and attended the funerals of lost patients, Dr. Nikaidoh came to understand personally the pain of a child's death. In the first chapter of Healing Hearts, he recounts the story of his son Hitoshi. Hitoshi's untimely death, shortly after finishing medical school, devastated his father and the family. Hitoshi had been dedicated to the true mission of a physician -  to serve. Dr. Nikaidoh, who had previously kept a respectful distance between himself and the grieving parents of his patients, realized that parents were not only mourning the child they had known. They mourned the child's future, the lost potential, the lost opportunities, and their hopes and dreams for the child.

The events of the book take place primarily at Children's Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, where Dr. Nikaidoh worked for 31 years. And it was to Children's, the site of their greatest loss, that all of the women eventually returned to volunteer or to join the hospital staff in helping other parents and children face the trauma of illness and death.

After the death of her son Timothy, Lynette Dick said, "I would like to think that . . . even if God had allowed us to keep him for a natural lifetime, I would still be a sensitive, helpful person who could empathize with others. But as I walk through the halls of this hospital every day, I know that I have something unique to give because of the loss of Timothy . . . the empathy, the tiny bit of peace that I can give them (other parents) is something not many people can offer. I wouldn't be able to do it either, if it hadn't been for Timothy."

Liz Etzkorn acknowledged God's role in her healing after the death of her daughter Brooke. "It is only with God's love and grace that any of us moves forward," she said. "By far the biggest lesson I learned from Brooke's life and death is this: God is in control. Not me, but God . . . I know now that God's plan is way beyond anything I can see on this earth. He is in charge. He knows what's best. And for that I am truly grateful."

Karen Ellis wrote about her job at the hospital, "More than twenty years ago when I first took that job as a receptionsist, I really hated the idea of spending any more time than I had to at Children's. I took the job because I needed to get back to work, and that was the work that fell into my lap. I figured I could tolerate it. But of corse, I've come to realize that this is exactly where God meant for me to be. Phillip (her son) taught me so much . . . it's now my blessing to put it all to such good use."

Julie Lakey Williams concluded, "I'm not sure one person can ever fully understand another person's feelings, but you can offer valuable empathy from having walked that same road before." Julie completed a round of her clinical nursing studies at Children's Medical Center on the fourth floor, exactly where her daughter Kimberly had been cared for before her death.

Dr. Nikaidoh concluded, "Healing Hearts is not about the failure to save these children. The book is about success - the success of these mothers who went on to serve others in such wonderful ways, always inspired and led by the memories of their precious children. I want to give these mothers all the honor they deserve, so that their stories of love, faith, and success can inspire all of us."

This is a book for anyone who has ever experienced pain. Dr. Nikaidoh and dear ladies,

we ARE inspired. 

                                                                                Dr. Hisashi Nikaidoh, MD, 
                                                           author of Healing Hearts, pediatric cardiologist, and
                                                                                             Christian

In the foreword to the book, Dr. C. Everett Koop, former Surgeon General of the United States, wrote, "After talking with Dr. Nikaidoh, I felt that his book would send a clear message about 'a plan beyond human understanding,'  i.e. 'the Sovereignty of God'. Books of this genre, and especially this book of Dr. Nikaidoh's are a testimony to the power of God without the appearance of preaching. Dr. Nikaidoh is not ashamed of this gospel for 'it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believes... (Romans 1:16)'."

For more information on Healing Hearts and information on how to purchase the book visit thehealingheartsbook.com.