These blooms are on a miniature rose bush in our backyard. It was given to us as a gift by visiting friends some years ago. We eventually moved it outside. 

It has been moved several times, and almost died at least twice, but it keeps on growing and blooming. It is a hardy plant.

When I took the photo yesterday, my mind wandered back many years, to a time when I was working in a bank. 

I walked into the florist to pick up some flowers as a gift. As I stood paying for my purchase, I noticed some roses tossed into the trash can.

I inquired about them and was informed that they had been damaged in shipping, with the outer petals frozen. They looked fine to me, and I persuaded the florist to give them to me.

I took the roses to my office, placed them in a vase, and set them in the sunny window. They opened over the course of the next few days. The outer petals turned black, but the rest of each rose was beautiful and fragrant.

To me, the dark outer petals framed the beautiful inner beauty of the roses. I don’t recall ever seeing roses that beautiful before or since.

That is how the Lord sometimes sees us. We have been damaged on the outside through circumstance or bad choices, and the world seems ready to discard us.

He rescues us and places us in a warm and safe spot. We bloom under His care. Our past imperfections provide a beautiful frame to show off our newly revealed beauty.

His love, forgiveness, and acceptance let us bloom to our best. We slowly open and become more and more like Him.

 Paul alludes to this idea as he speaks of our becoming like Christ and God’s promise to finish His work in us.

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:3-11 ESV

Until next time, may the Love of Jesus fill you with joy and allow you to blossom and become all God has created you to be.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin