Blue Halo

Early morning phone calls almost never bring good news. She had been awake most of the night after notification of deaths two people she loved. She was up again to say goodbye to her husband leaving for a 3:00 a.m. work start. She was up again to make certain her son got off to school. Finally, with the house quiet perhaps she could get some sleep. The phone rang.

An accident--he was okay, but shook up and maybe, just maybe wanted his mom for support. She hadn't been sleeping anyway--and certainly would not now. So she took care of the animals of the household and left to go to the site of the accident.

Coming down the hill and out of the woods she came around a curve. The sun blinded her momentarily before she could see the vehicles on the side of the road with highway patrol already on scene. Driving past slowly she could see the damage was truly slight. Her child seemed to be fine as he motioned to her from the patrol car where he waited.

She turned at the next available road and pulled to the side behind the parked vehicles--off in the grass. She wanted to rush to her child and embrace him--check him head to toe to be certain all was well, but restrained herself.

After a deep calming breath she walked slowly to the open door of the patrol car--"hi, I'm his mom--everything okay?" The trooper raised her eyes from the computer screen and exchanged a glance which spoke volumes--"he's fine." Her eyes told the mom that she understood the need to "see" her child while maintaining a cool exterior. It was a "mom thing." She just needed to see with her own eyes that he wasn't hurt--she hug the stuffing out of him later when they weren't in public.

Finishing his part of the report, he exited the patrol car and walked with her to talk to the other driver and look at the broken mirrors. With the sun blinding him the drivers' mirrors had "kissed" breaking them both and the other driver's window. It really was minor.

Mom and son returned to her car while the trooper took the other driver's statement. Sitting, breathing, she turned to look at her son. He appeared to have a blue halo glowing about his head. Shaking her head, she realized that beside them the grass was filled with wild flowers--mostly blue flax. With the sun's reflection off of the rock wall behind the flowers the blue glowed behind his head.

It reminded her of when he was a small boy travelling to his school in the neighboring town. The road side was filled with blue flax wildflowers--especially the area passing the ranch of one of their friends. It had become a sign of comfort and assurance for them.

The beautiful flowers did not grow everywhere in the dry ranch country, but were prolific along this one stretch. The owner of the ranch and the mom had always felt a strong connection through their shared blue flowers. Their blossoms never failed to bring their friend to her mind--and warm fuzzies to her heart.

Now, when she was feeling stressed--trying to be calm for her son--the flowers spoke to her again. He fairly glowed with their beauty behind him. She could hear/feel God speaking to her in loving words that all was well. Her child would pass through this with the grace and love of God surrounding him.

Often in life, we feel alone . . . overwhelmed . . . and yet try to "save face" in the moment. In reality we are not. God is there. Sometimes we just have to see the blue halo to remind us of God's faithfulness and love.

Creator, father, mother, you are always with us--even when we refuse to see. Thank you for the simple reminders of your love and provision; for the beauty in nature that draws our hearts to you; for friends whose arms comfort us; for blue flax along the road and the halo of the morning sun. So be it. Amen.