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Still Saturday: Last Days of Fragrance (Day 4)

October 5, 2012 By Sandra Heska King

“Clarence died full of years and short of breath . . . In all the time Clarence attended the church where I pastor, he never did a thing other than show up . . . But the roots ran deep, and the branches stretched sturdy and long, and oh, the fruit. That man was clasped up to heaven, I think, in midstream of an intercession. He learned the secret of abiding . . . So in the long winter of his life, when nothing else was growing, he experienced his greatest closeness with Jesus . . .

“The season Clarence found himself in late in life didn’t matter. The roots and branches did. There was nothing spindly about spindly Clarence’s relationship with Christ. An earthquake could not have uprooted what a lifetime of slow steady growing had created. And the fruit of that was, I think, the sweetest fruit of all, like grapes picked at the first kiss of frost: his life took the shape of a prayer. If prayer, as Revelation tells us, is incense in the throne room of God, then Clarence’s last days were pure fragrance.” ~ Mark Buchanan in Spiritual Rhythm, p. 212, “Abiding”

Welcome to Still Saturday where we pause after a busy week, move in quiet pilgrimage, maybe linger a while in some still place, and soak in the beauty of images and words. We’d love for you to join us. Get the details above, grab your favorite button, and link up below. We all love to hear if something especially speaks to your heart, but please don’t feel pressured to comment. Simply take some time to gaze long and drink deep.



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Filed Under: 31 days 2012, stories and reflections

Comments

  1. Danise Jurado says

    October 5, 2012 at 10:47 pm

    Sandra that is a lovely photo! I love the color… You write beautifully… May my life always abide in Him and through a life of prayer offer pure fragrance to the Lord. Blessings! 🙂

    • Sandra says

      October 6, 2012 at 7:10 am

      You are so kind, Danise. Thank you. These words today, of course, are not mine. I wish I could write like Mark. 🙂

      And I loved the color in this, too. It’s staghorn sumac and has no fragrance, but I read the fruit (drupes) could last through winter into spring. There’s a spiritual application there, I think.

      (I just ran across a post that said it was intensely fragrant. I’ll have to pay more attention to this plant over the year.)

  2. Christina says

    October 6, 2012 at 7:20 am

    Praying for slow, steady growth here with prayers of sweet fragrance. Have a blessed weekend!

    • Sandra says

      October 6, 2012 at 10:28 pm

      At this point, I’d like it fast and steady. 🙂

  3. Martha Orlando says

    October 6, 2012 at 7:29 am

    Gorgeous photo and reflection, Sandra. A blessed and peaceful Saturday to you!

    • Sandra says

      October 6, 2012 at 10:28 pm

      And to you, dear Martha.

  4. Amanda says

    October 6, 2012 at 8:17 am

    Such a beautiful story!! May all of our days be “pure fragrance”! And what a gorgeous photo!! Thanks for sharing and for the link-up! Have a blessed day 🙂

    • Sandra says

      October 6, 2012 at 10:29 pm

      Yes…pure fragrance. That’s my prayer, too. Blessings to you, Amanda.

  5. Lyn Cooke says

    October 6, 2012 at 10:18 am

    Oh how I would love to be characterized as “clasped up to heaven in midstream of an intercession”! Beautiful photo and words, Sandy. As always, a blessing.

    • Sandra says

      October 6, 2012 at 10:30 pm

      I love that phrase. I would love that, too. Bless you, Lyn.

  6. Kris says

    October 6, 2012 at 11:16 am

    Really beautiful, Sandy. Wow. Such grace to meditate on here today! Thank you, sweet friend!!

    • Sandra says

      October 6, 2012 at 10:30 pm

      Mark’s spilled some beautiful words, hasn’t he? I just love seeing you here, Kris.

  7. Michelle DeRusha says

    October 6, 2012 at 11:31 am

    Wow that photo is INCREDIBLE, and the story is really, really beautiful. Thanks, Sandy. xxoo to you this weekend.

    • Sandra says

      October 6, 2012 at 10:31 pm

      That you, friend. That’s just some simple sumac I saw in a ditch. Amazing what we can see when we focus, right? Much love to you, Michelle.

  8. Laurie Collett says

    October 6, 2012 at 12:09 pm

    What a beautiful tribute to Clarence! And an amazing photo too! May we all bear fruit throughout our lives on earth. Thanks for the great post & for hosting the linkup, & God bless!

    • Sandra says

      October 6, 2012 at 10:32 pm

      And that’s only a smidgen of what he wrote. I want to bear fruit right to the end. Thanks for being here, Laurie.

  9. Carol J. Garvin says

    October 6, 2012 at 12:42 pm

    Wonderful photo and meditation, Sandy! I especially love the observance that “his life took the shape of a prayer.” Wouldn’t we like that said about us someday?

    I haven’t been able to take part in the Still Saturday link very often lately, but I do appreciate the opportunity to read the writings of everyone else. Such a blessing from all the thoughts!

    • Sandra says

      October 6, 2012 at 10:34 pm

      There’s something different about that phrase. He could have said “his life was a prayer.” But to take the shape of a prayer–there’s something deeper there. Who wouldn’t want to leave that legacy? I’m so glad to see your face in whatever form, Carol.

  10. faith hope & cherrytea says

    October 6, 2012 at 1:06 pm

    I luv Mark Buchanan’s writing ~ ty for sharing 🙂

    • Sandra says

      October 6, 2012 at 10:34 pm

      Me. Too. Love it. 🙂

  11. ~ Patricia says

    October 6, 2012 at 1:08 pm

    “If prayer, as Revelation tells us, is incense in the throne room of God, then Clarence’s last days were pure fragrance.”

    Wow! That’s going to stay with me a while. Thank you, Sandra.

    • Sandra says

      October 6, 2012 at 10:35 pm

      A lot of his phrases in this section are going to stay with me. xoxo

  12. Jason Stasyszen says

    October 6, 2012 at 3:45 pm

    Wow! That’s amazing. Thanks Sandra.

    • Sandra says

      October 6, 2012 at 10:35 pm

      Thanks, Jason. So good to see you.

  13. Lynn Mosher says

    October 6, 2012 at 5:04 pm

    Ditto what Patricia said! I love that line. And your photo is awesome!

    • Sandra says

      October 6, 2012 at 10:36 pm

      *You’re* awesome. 🙂

  14. Pam says

    October 6, 2012 at 10:54 pm

    Beautiful beautiful tribute to Clarence… Love it. This lifts my prayer warrior heart. Thank you.

  15. Jennifer @ You Are My Girls says

    October 6, 2012 at 11:46 pm

    Sandy, these words bring me to tears. Just pure beauty. And your photo! Wow. Thank you so much.

  16. Cheryl Smith says

    October 7, 2012 at 6:12 pm

    Oh, to be taken up in the midst of intercession (or in my case, worship)

  17. Jennifer Richardson says

    October 7, 2012 at 7:28 pm

    oh Clarence, thanks for that beautiful
    expression of love
    you lived:)
    they were poetry, you know,
    your everydays.
    i celebrate each one.
    -Jennifer

  18. kd sullivan says

    October 8, 2012 at 9:59 am

    What beauty if found in the death of a righteous man.

  19. Terri says

    October 9, 2012 at 11:52 am

    Hi Sandy — I’ve read about you and so glad you are pursuing your dream of writing. It’s always been a passion of mine. So glad I found you and thanks for the inspiration. Blessings Terri — I hope it is okay that I joined Still Saturdays even though there might be a lot of words, people don’t have to read them if they don’t want to; that’s just my time to write on my blog LOL.

Trackbacks

  1. Straight Paths- Day 6 says:
    October 6, 2012 at 8:23 am

    […] Linking up with Still Saturday […]

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