THE BEAUTIFUL ROSE | by Anna Marie K. ~ (Vol. 2#1)
I have many favorite flowers… sweet peas, pansies, lilacs, lily of the valley and so many more. Sadly, these flowers die each year as the seasons change… In early spring, what do you see first? Crocuses? Snowdrops? Then come the apple buds and blooms, along with the lilacs and lily of the valley. Soon, the whole world is bursting with new color as God’s creation comes alive!
As the summer comes, gladiolus bloom, the dahlias burst forth, the petunias shine with color, and the snap-dragons look dazzling!! But all to soon the color is gone! Fall sets the forest alive with changing color as the trees turn their rich green leaves to beautiful colors of yellow, orange, and burgundy. The blooms that cheered us so, soon drop, fade, and finally fall to the ground gone are the beautiful colors, sights and smells… Gone…!
Soon, the dreary, rainy days come when the world is bare and bleak… the long winter is ahead, and what will add the sweet fragrances we so miss?
My absolute favorite flower is one that is a very rare variety, and I have never seen it in any stores or nurseries. It is a very precious plant, and very rare! Sadly, some people are able to find it, but they hide it away so that no one is able to enjoy it.
Maintaining this plant is not that hard, but it does require many feedings to get it established. At first, such constant care might seem like a bother, and way to much effort, but once its roots have taken hold, the sweet fruit and fragrances will totally remove any sense of obligation. You'll want to spend all your time watering and feeding it, and simply spending time admiring its unspeakable beauty. Once the roots are firmly established and developed, with proper care it will never stop blooming! That is one of the special qualities of this plant.
The smell is like something you have never inhaled before… it is so sweet, clean and refreshing, and depending on how much time you spend with this special flower, you will start to have the sweetness of its smell clinging to you, and others will notice, and desire a plant for themselves. There are many sacrifices needed to make sure that this plant stays strong, but your love will be so great that you'll gladly give up any other thing for it.
This plant that I love so much, and is my number 1 favorite is "the rose of Sharon," Jesus Christ. He is so precious and beautiful. Once you ask him to come and bloom in your heart, He will come… You'll need to prepare the ground of your heart by admitting that you are a sinner worthy of death, because the wages of sin is death; and realizing that all have missed the mark of God’s high standard by breaking His law. But the wonderful news is that when you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe with your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved!
The moment you accept Jesus into your heart, he plants His Rose of Sharon in your heart, and the roots start to grow. You will notice that this rose has thorns, and when you do something you know is wrong, your God given conscience is pricked, and in order for this plant to keep growing, you must correct the wrong. If you don't, the plant will cease to thrive, and will soon wither up and die.
As you water and feed this plant by reading, memorizing, meditating, and engrafting God’s Word into your life, the sweet smelling buds soon begin to appear, and you realize how precious this plant is.
You'll find that in order to let this plant flourish, you will have to let some things go that are special to you. It will be hard, and might even hurt!! Other people won't understand why you are doing what you are doing and you'll wonder if this plant is really worth all the effort and work you are putting into it… But, when you stop, and spend time with the Rose of Sharon, His presence will start to heal your wounds, and you'll know that following Jesus is worth anything you must suffer.
Jesus, He is the beautiful Rose of Sharon, that gives sweet peace to all that discover His beauty!
