Reflections Of… True Love!
By Alan
P. Scaglione
I pray that everyone had
a wonderful Christmas!
Our 4 year old grandson
said “It was the best Christmas of my whole life!” – did I mention that he is
4? I thought so!And now onto our New Year ahead.
This is a feel good
story that just has to make you smile!
It really exemplifies
the scripture “this is how they will know you are my disciples—If you have love
one for another!”This all started with a boy, standing in a shower, hearing the voice of the Lord!
That boy is 27 years old and loves his mom so much that he just wanted to show her how much he cared!
And he asked God what he could do for his mom… and apparently, God said “build her a garden!”
Yep—I have to admit when Chris called me with this epiphany—I wanted to say “Chris, your heart is in the right place, but…a garden?”
But… I didn’t! I said to him “If God told you to do this, then God will provide all you need to get it done!”
Honestly, I was ready for it NOT to happen, but… I never doubt when someone says “God told me…” I just wait and see.
And boy…did I ever!
Christopher is a tenderhearted, good man to the core, and he had to do something for his mom, who is battling cancer.
Doctors’ prognosis isn’t good, but… Sandy has a ferocious faith and if anyone can persuade God for a healing—it’s Chris’s mom!
Chris is a landscape specialist, working with a crew who landscape for a living, 40+ hours a week.
These people don’t normally donate their time… but this is not a normal situation.
Chris talked with the owner of his company Joe Chilleini about asking people to donate money to building his mom a garden.
He told Joe about his mom’s diagnosis and how much she loves flowers and what a great green thumb she has—from her Mom Edna.
Joe said “Chris, forget the donations—I will supply what you need—let’s do this for your mom!”
Wow! Step one accomplished!
Joe told Christ to get Brian, the horticulturist, to go to Dunnellon, Florida, about 100 miles away, and set up the plans.
Brian actually volunteered to drive up with his daughter to survey the backyard.
He was onboard.
Then came the supplies—Chris told a vendor, and they donated some of the plants.
But the hard part was yet to be supplied—free labor!
Chris announced to his crew what he was doing and who he was doing it for and why he was doing this!
We’re talking Gilbert and John and Humberto and Ricky and… Leo!
Let me tell you about Leo.
He told Chris that he was honored to do this for his mom because Leo was a Christian and this was the right thing to do.
Leo was the one who touched Sandy’s heart the most.
He asked to take a picture with her—with his own camera!
Jessica, Sandy’s daughter-in-law, snapped the photo—with Leo grinning ear to ear.
Sandy commented to me “Why would anyone want to take a picture with me? Who am I?”
I told her “you are the person they came all this way for just to plant you a garden!”
She just cried.
Sandy and her husband Derrick fed the men, with help from son Shane, and their daughters-in-law Cali and Jessica.
It was a family affair!
All the boys asked in return was “Can we fish off of your dock when we are done?”
As you can see—they got their wish!
When the day was over, and they workers had left, Sandy fulfilled the wish of her son Chris.
She stepped out into her garden, with new St. Augustine grass, all of her plants now planted and landscaped and…
A beautiful symbol of the love from her son Christopher!
And… the love of strangers who just wanted to show their love to her!
And isn’t that what true Christianity should be?
When we have love, one for another!
By the way… those boys?
Well… their truck broke down on the ride home…
They didn’t make it home until 10 pm that night..
That’s a 14 hour Saturday away from family, donated to build a garden for a stranger!
But, as Leo’s picture proved—it was worth it all!
And no one complained—they were just honored to be able to fulfill the dream God gave.
In a shower!
Brother “A”
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