It was a beautiful spring day, and a sense of peace stayed with me as 
I left the cathedral on Easter morning. I paused for a moment on top 
of the steps leading to the avenue, now crowded with people rushing to 
their jobs. Sitting in her usual place inside a small archway was the 
old flower lady. At her feet, corsages and boutonnieres were parading 
on top of a spread-open newspaper. 

The flower lady was smiling, her wrinkled old face alive with some inner
joy. I started down the stairs--then on an impulse, turned and picked 
out a flower. 

As I put it in my lapel, I said, "You look happy." 

"Why not?' she answered. "Everything is good." 

She was dressed so shabbily and seemed so very old that her reply started 
me. "You've been sitting here for many years now, haven't you? And always 
smiling. You wear your troubles well." 

"You can't reach my age and not have troubles," she replied. "Only it's 
like Jesus and Good Friday...." She paused for a moment. 

"Yes?" I prompted. 

"Well, when Jesus was crucified on Good Friday, that was the worst day for 
the whole world. When I get troubles I remember that, and then I think of 
what happened only three days later-Easter and our Lord rose from the dead. 
So when things go wrong, I've learned to wait days and somehow everything 
gets much better." 

She smiled good-bye, but her words still follow me whenever I think I have 
troubles..."Give God a chance to help...wait three days." 

By Patt Barnes