Blessings In Bloom
Church takes donated flowers to hospital patients
Last updated Friday, July 15, 2005 10:21 PM CDT in Religion
By Heidi Stambuck
The Morning News
FAYETTEVILLE -- Members of a Fayetteville church recently started a ministry delivering flowers to people who are sick, injured or elderly, finding themselves blessed in the process.
The Dwelling Place averages about 75 people at Sunday morning services. The nondenominational church, started last November, shares space with Northstar Partnering Group, a retail marketing company on Joyce Boulevard.
The idea behind the flower ministry called Blooming Blessings is to uplift and encourage people who are hospitalized and feeling low, said Marcus Carruthers, Dwelling Place pastor. Carruthers travels as a consultant to other churches and was touched when a woman brought him flowers during a trip. He was missing his wife and son and the flowers made him feel better, he said.
"They blessed my spirit," he said.
Many of the people who receive flowers on Tuesdays and Thursdays don't have family nearby and are lonely, he said. Nurses help the effort, providing a list of patients they think could use a boost, he said.
While the idea is to bless others, Carruthers said he feels doubly blessed when he sees the look on someone's face as he walks in with a bouquet.
Rosie Reynolds helps organize the effort that began in May. Recipients greet the volunteers warmly, she said, and the church members ask if they can pray together.
"They lift me up," Reynolds said. "When they hug me, it's so genuine."
Community Partners
Northwest Arkansas Florist in Fayetteville donates the flowers to Carruthers' volunteers. He contacted Chris Witherington, owner of the florist, and convinced her the cause was worthwhile, she said.
"I felt he was forthright, very genuine," Witherington said of Carruthers. "I wanted to help for the same reason they do."
Carruthers comes by on the day the group makes deliveries, and the florist staff goes through the flowers available, picking out some that may be past their prime but are still nice, Witherington said. They're flowers that couldn't be sold at full price, she said.
The amount of flowers available varies widely, according to Witherington. The church may pick up $600 worth one day and $60 worth another day, she said.
The church members take the flowers from the florist and arrange them in vases before delivering them. Employees of Northstar, the company in whose building the church meets, have a box to collect used vases for the arrangements, Carruthers said.
Flowers and plants are delivered to people in local hospitals, rehabilitation centers and retirement centers.
Wanda Burnett, administrator at Fayetteville Health and Rehabilitation Center, said the flowers are gorgeous. They don't look like leftovers, she said.
"The patients love it, of course," Burnett said.
Filling Needs
The church members don't rush when they visit patients, Carruthers said. They take time to visit with people, learn about their families and needs to offer whatever resources they can, he said. They make follow-up visits to see how someone is doing and have brought meals to family members of hospital patients.
"We love on 'em with the love of God," he said. "I believe a lot of people are hurting, a lot of people are hopeless. This is a great opportunity for us to communicate the love of Jesus Christ in their lives."
Carruthers believes the attention also can make a hospital patient more willing to help in his own recovery because of the hospital staff's part in the flower ministry.
"It's my opinion -- I have observed -- when you go talk to them it's almost like they become a better patient," he said. "The hospital encourages us to come, and (patients realize) the nurses think so much about them."
Zelpha Long described herself as being in deep depression not long after being admitted as a patient at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital in Fayetteville. A visit from Carruthers came just when she needed it.
"I was in bad shape here when he walked in with these flowers," Long said Monday from her room. "I was just stunned. (The flowers) certainly lifted me out of a really dark place."
Carruthers prayed with her, he said.
"He is just marvelous, just his smile, his countenance. I can't even begin to tell you," Long said.
Reader Comments (No comments posted.)
The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsibility of their authors. The Morning News does not review comments before their publication, nor do we guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by our comment policy. If you see a comment that violates our policy, please notify the web editor.
Not already registered?
