Tag: love

  • Beautiful Roses

    A prolific bloom of roses

    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

    What’s your favorite book of the Bible?
    A Lesson From the Lilies – no need to worry
    In Bloom – In God’s perfect timing

  • Fences – Barriers to love

    moss covered split rail fence

    The remnants of old split rail fences can be found in many of the  local area parks. The cedar rails are rot-resistant, and the fences are relatively easy to construct, making them ideal for many uses.

    There’s an old country saying: “Good fences make good neighbors.” It’s been found in writing as early as the 1640s, but it likely far outdates them. The saying implies that boundaries, both physical and otherwise, are good. There is truth in that, but boundaries are often abused.

    We like to categorize people. It helps us know who is who. We do it by gender, culture, politics, age, skin color, and so much more. It’s even done within the church. We sort by theology, baptism style, denomination, worship style, what seminary the pastor attended, and more.

    It becomes problematic when we start to see categories rather than people. We can begin to focus on the differences rather than the commonalities. Rather than a tool to help facilitate understanding and dialogue, we begin to exclude based on what fence our neighbor lives behind.

    It’s an easy trap to fall into, particularly when dealing with contentious issues within the church. I can easily fall into the trap of seeing people as one of “them” rather than individuals. I find myself doing that I must repent of as sin and seek reconciliation if need be.

    The fact that someone comes from a different denominational background or differs on non-essential theological issues doesn’t make them our enemies. If their faith is in Christ per the gospel, they are our brothers and sisters in Christ.

    Like blood families, Christian families can have differences and struggles. It’s a fact of life and an opportunity to give and receive forgiveness, grace, and love.

    Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 1 John 2:9-11 ESV

    Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 1 John 3:15 ESV

    We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. 1 John 4:19-21 ESV

    Let’s use our fences to understand, but let us also remember to love.

    Be blessed

    Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

    Kevin

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