Why I love roses...

My mom's favorite:  Tropicana

If you haven't noticed yet, I absolutely love roses.  I've always loved them.  Other flowers were fluffy or plain, but nothing could compare to the beauty of a fully formed rose--at least in my eyes.  When we were little, my mom got the delight of pruning nearly an acre of roses each morning at the resort where we lived.  The fragrance was heady and rich.  The colors were stunning.  I loved everything about it--even though it was often a hot and thankless job. 



A Particularly Thorny Rose
Belinda's Dream

I love that roses have thorns.  I've used some varieties for security around my front door because of their needle-like stems.  Their beauty is not without danger.  I can relate.  As much as I want to be sweet, with untarnished, painless beauty, I've never been able to pull it off.  A lot of my best friends are that way too and I love them anyway, thorns and all. 

I love that they need pruning constantly.  The more you prune them, the more they bloom.  I need that kind of care regularly too.  Even though it hurts, it keeps me from getting leggy and out of hand.

I love that they need fertilizer regularly.  I do too.  The Word of God keeps me fed so that I can make more blooms. 

My Favorite:  Ronald Reagan

I love that they need water constantly but can't sit still in it.  I need the Holy Spirit constantly, but He doesn't let me sit still all the time, taking in His presence for my own sake alone.  He gives me plenty of opportunities to pour out into others to keep myself from rotting. 

Roses take a lot of sunshine--and so do I.  That was a hard lesson to learn, but it is good to know what your physical limitations are.

Here in Central Florida, my roses often have a habit of blooming in the most surprising times--I usually get a flush in January, near the time of the frosts.  God helps me bloom at strange times too, often catching me by surprise, to my great delight. 

The rose variety that does the best locally drops its leaves when they become diseased.  It doesn't hold onto its pain or sickness--it sheds it as fast as possible so that the disease doesn't affect the entire bush.  It's a wise practice. 

A beautiful Don Juan

Honestly, they have very little practical value.  I don't have them for their practicality.  I have them because they are beautiful--a visual reminder of the goodness of God.  Sometimes it feels like I have little practical value too, but the Father enjoys me even when I am not all that useful.  I am His child and that's enough.  I enjoy His presence and that is enough sometimes too. 

I've learned a lot from roses, and as my own rose garden can attest, I still have much more to learn.  There's a new bacterial infection in this area that I have yet to lick.  I've got my own illnesses for which I need healing too.  I know the Lord and I will get through both problems. 

What things have you found that teach you about our Lord?