A tale from a long ago mind and place wove a story for anyone who would listen. A tale of longing, waiting, persistent love. A story of a shy, young shepherdess, Amaryllis. A young girl, who, through her daily life guiding, cajoling, leading her flock, met a young and, we hear, very handsome and strong shepherd, Alteo.  He was a lover of the natural world beyond his own flock.  Flora beckoned his heart and his desire; not the beauty or attention of the young Amaryllis.  But, she longed for him to love her has he loved the beauty of the land. As her efforts to entice him faltered and, then, failed, she sought the counsel of those greater than she; the authority, the gods of knowledge, the Oracle of Delphi. Her assigned mission toward achieving her hoped-for true love’s ardor was to walk the path to Alteo’s home each night, dressed in a white gown, for 30 days. 30 days!  Amaryllis was to pierce her heart with a golden arrow, dropping tears of her life’s blood along this path, day after day, every day.  For 29 of those days of perseverance, this was to no avail. Alteo was unmoved by her offering.

Then, on the last day of her mission, spectacular, blood-red blossoms spontaneously bloomed at her feet along the same path that she had trod to Alteo’s home each of the past 29.  As Amaryllis arrived, he saw, for the first time, the beauty within and without this young maiden surrounded and inspired by these unusual and unfamiliar blooms.  His heart was moved beyond his passion for only flora and these glorious blossoms Into a pairing with a love and desire for this particular human.  He bestowed upon the stately, lovely blooms her name., Amaryllis.

This tale from a long ago mind and place wove a story to which I have listened. This tale of longing, waiting, and persistent love that bloomed into a fulfilled hope renews my own hope  delivered in another tale from a long ago place and an Angel that tells of The Coming, urging me, in my longing, to wait and persist toward His Love and hope fulfilled.

                                                                        By Susan Ceely Philips