Stop To See The Roses

Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Listen to this devotional:

My neighbour's dog is a big black Lab named Brady. She is very sweet and loves to play with my dog, Bunny, a Boston terrier. One day, the dogs were playing in my front yard and wrestled right over the brand new rose tree that I had just planted a week before.

I was so sad, for the roses were just beautiful and all in full bloom. They were big pink and yellow flowers, so fragrant and graceful. I had never really been so attached to a tree or bush or flower. I couldn't understand why I was so heartbroken, but I felt the need to replace the tree right away. So I headed back to the nursery and bought another rose tree.

The problem was that I had no idea what colour the new roses would turn out to be, because there was no label on this particular tree. So I just took a chance, brought my new rose tree home, and planted it in the exact same spot where the old one had been.

As I fed and watered the new tree, I began to see the rosebuds coming out, and I was saddened to discover that the flowers were going to be an ugly shade of yellowish white. I was so disappointed — and kind of miffed at the dogs for ruining a beautiful tree.

I decided to ask God to help me love this ugly old tree and to help me to let go of my anger for the dogs. After all, they were just playing, and they didn't mean to hurt anything. Then I asked for one tiny little miracle: I asked God to make those roses turn pink! Can you believe how silly and selfish that sounds? To top it off, I told everyone I could about my prayer. Imagine what they must have thought of me!

After about a month or so of watering, feeding, planting banana peels, and tenderly pruning and guarding my precious little tree, the flowers turned an amazing shade of white that was so pure and so beautiful that I felt ashamed of my prayer. It was as if God were telling me, "Look at the beautiful flowers I have given to you. They are the purest white — like you My child, free from sin because of My sacrifice — and yet you still want pink flowers?"

A few weeks later, I was outside watering, when I noticed little pink specks all over my pretty white roses. I couldn't believe it! I thought, "This can't be real." I showed my family and friends, but none of them really seemed that impressed. I was in awe of those little pink specks. I just kept staring at them, thinking, "Is this a symbol from God that His Son died for me? Are those specks like drops of Jesus' blood?" Could it be that God was talking to me yet again through this wonderful rose tree? I mean, it was no burning bush — but something was happening!

Finally, a few days later, I stepped outside, took one look at my rose tree, and there it was: a single, solid pink rose bud standing in the middle of two dozen pure white roses. Scripture instantly came rushing up from in my heart:

Matthew 9:29-30a – Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith it will be done to you"; and their sight was restored. (NIV)

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for letting us see Your beauty and see that You are here with us always. Amen.

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About the author:

Steffanie Garcia <stefflovesdestin@yahoo.com>
Greenville, South Carolina, USA

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