The Rose
Once there was a little rose
bud. She couldn’t remember her beginning
but she remembered being a tiny bud on a large bush. Of course she had some memories here and there,
of growing up. She remembered the feel
of the warm sunlight surrounding her as well as the raindrops bouncing off her
head. She also remembered feeling the shadow of the gardener
covering her, when he would add fertilizer to the rose bush or water it on dry
days. There were memories of the cool breezes that comforted her and the storms
with loud banging that would cause the little bud to tremble. During all these things the little bud
continued to grow bigger and bigger, until one day, she felt like she was about
to burst.
That day she felt the presence
of the gardener very near to her. She
could hear his voice and feel the warmth of the sun shining on every part of
her exterior. She knew it was time to
open up and bloom and yet there was something holding her back. She trembled at the thought of raindrops possibly
pelting her petals or harsh winds pulling them off.
Then she heard the voice of the
gardener, gently whispering to her and speaking deep into the center of her
being. “Wake up little Rose, it’s time
to bloom. Let go of holding everything
in. In releasing you will find freedom
and others will see the beauty that is deep within. I am the gardener who planted you. I watered, fertilized and tended you too. You were created to show my glory by coming to
full bloom. Don’t be afraid of losing your petals or you beauty too. Each petal has a story and when one falls to
the ground, I pick it up and save it for the future. I bring it back to life and it becomes a
sweet aroma to me, as well as a fragrance that touches others for eternity.”
Where are you on your journey in the garden? Are you the tiny bud still growing? Or are
you the bud ready to bloom but trying to hold back because of fear? Maybe you were the Rose, blooming, opening up
your petals starting to share the beauty of God working in you; but now some of
your petals are bruised and have been pelted off by life’s storms. It is in this place of feeling vulnerable that
you can still trust the Gardener to hold and cherish you. It is in sharing of yourself with others that
they can see the sweet aroma of Christ in you.
Whatever you have experienced in life, may you know that you are truly cherished by the Lord and of great value. May you be a sweet fragrance of Christ to others.
Love, Triss
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