A Tale of two Amaryllises

Something happened at 2:35 am that reminded me of a series of children's talks in my Blackburn church.  I had been given a pot with a green stub sticking out and told to keep it moist.  The label said: An amazing amaryllis - keep watering and you will be amazed!.  Never having grown one before I was surprised to see signs of life within a week.  So I began to take it to church as a 'show and tell' with the intention of underlining Jesus' description of his kingdom work as seeds growing, mustard seeds into trees etc.   Once or twice more the growth was so dramatic that children shared my astonishment. on following weeks  Now a meter tall and promising some blooms what would happen next?

Three gigantic blooms sprang from nowhere and I looked forward to capping off my talks with such splendid signs of God's growth.  Loading it carefully into the car I was as gentle as possible.  Yet, somehow when I arrived the blooms had dropped off the stem and I was left with a handful of crumpled flower and an amaryllis stalk.  Did I confess to the church?  Of course, and I think I tried to make some worthy point.  However, many people never forgot the final day of the amaryllis showing.  Many years later a couple were reminiscing: ' Do you remember that plant that we watched grow only for it to go wrong at the end?'  Yes, I remember!.

And what occurred at 2:35 this morning?  For only the second time I have grown an amaryllis which again grew enormously to bloom with three red trumpet flowers. Magnificent, set on a bookcase.  Until early this morning when it became too top heavy and fell with a mighty crash, smashing the pot, cascading the soil and scattering the bloom. Sleep was also shattered as we awoke from deep slumber and I rushed downstairs expecting something far worse than attack by an amaryllis.  We are recovering.

I don't think I can make a worthy point a second time!