Thursday, June 19, 2008

In My Garden


My goodness...I have been having a very successful season with my roses this year and I thought you might enjoy seeing this years blessing. Boy, do I love roses! There is something about them. Maybe it is the old fashioned nature of this flower or that it is considered by many to be the queen of all flowers! It is the sweet luscious scent some would argue, I would say, "Yes!" It is for all of those reasons that I love the rose.

This flower also represents life to me and I would like to share my thoughts with you on this. Life is filled with beauty and things that are pleasing to our senses! It is easy to be caught up in the sweet aroma of a rose, isn't it? To many the smell of a rose will take them captive and fill their mind's eye with lovely memories of places and people, and of love. It can represent friendship and congratulations. It often fills our churches and places of worship during weddings and funerals. It's oils have been used for centuries to beautify many a Lady and Queens.

However, there is also a dark side to the rose. If you have been pricked by it's thorns you know what I am talking about. Life too is thorny. We get prick and poked all the time and sometimes we even...bleed. There are seasons in life where we feel like we are bleeding sometimes physically, other times emotionally, even sometimes spiritually. The thorns of a rose are a caution, slow down, please handle me with care. I have felt the need at times to be 'handled with care'.

My roses are a great reminder that in order to enjoy the sweetness of life and all its loveliness we also have to be willing to take the thorns, to get pricked and poked on this journey. But most importantly, my roses remind me of a scripture from the Word of God:
2 Corinthians 2:14-16

14But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 15For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?










11 comments:

Laura Kirste Campbell said...

I can almost smell those beauties! With this record breaking cold spring I'm surprised you had such a bounty! My roses just started to open yesterday...but I've gone out there to smell them many times! Ah, so lovely!

christygrant said...

Your roses are gorgeous. I love the old-fashioned kinds, well, any of them, but especially those. Mmmmm, I can just imagine it now. Thanks so much for sharing. I love your blog and have listed it on mine, too, I hope that's okay. :)

Karen Owen said...

Heather, you certainly brought a smile to my face with those gorgeous roses. Oh my, but they are beautiful. I especially love the older varieties. Your yard must smell like heaven right now.

Sally L. Smith said...

Absolutely lovely--both roses and comments. I love roses, too! but I have such a brown thumb :(
Blessings,Sally

Jaime said...

Hey Heather! It's Jaime from Ruebee.... I just had to say that these flowers are amazing!!! So gorgeous and I can see why they put a smile on your face everyday. I would be smiling too and looking for reasons just to walk by them :). Beautiful post too- roses are such an great metaphor for both the beauty and prickliness life brings our way at times. Thank you for sharing!

RubyMay said...

Oh Heather your roses look beautiful. I love all flowers but roses are my favourite. Thank you for sharing. x

Lu Lu's Fluffy Ruffles said...

Your roses are just gorgeous!!you should be proud of them!
I wish I could grow them they are my favorite flower.
smiles,
Sandy

blessings said...

Those are some of the best I've seen yet this Summer! Blessings... Polly

xx said...

Your roses are gorgeous! I am so envious :~)

Unknown said...

Heather your roses are stunning!!! So beautiful!

Ali said...

what a treat! Just magnificent. Thank you so much for sharing them with us. ox Ali