| Some people claim that the rose is the crown jewel of the garden. It’s one of my favorites, and I enjoy capturing its intricacies with paint and brush. For all these reasons and more, I was touched by a poem sent to me a couple of years ago. Written by a missionary, it’s called “The Rose.”
It’s only a tiny rosebud—a flower of God’s design;
But I can’t unfold the petals with these clumsy hands of mine.
The secret of unfolding flowers is not known to such as I—
The flower God opens so sweetly in my hands would fade and die.
If I cannot unfold a rosebud this flower of God’s design,
Then how can I think I have wisdom to unfold this life of mine?
So I’ll trust in Him for His leading each moment of every day,
And I’ll look to Him for His guidance each step of the pilgrim way.
For the pathway that lies before me my Heavenly Father knows—
I’ll trust Him to unfold the moments just as He unfolds the rose.
As the poem suggests, we can’t grow the moments of our lives any more than we can peel back the petals of a rose. As we look to God’s leading each moment of the day, we can trust him to unfurl each hour just as he unfurls the rose. Little wonder the Lord is called the Rose of Sharon. We just can’t get enough of watching his glory, like that glorious flower, unfold in our lives.
Can you trust God to unfold a lovely plan for your life? Can people see Jesus more clearly in you as you bloom? What changes do you need to make to be able to answer yes with confidence?
Sun and shower, bud to flower, a rose is like my heart—
I lay it bare, unfurl with care, each fragile fold, each part.
Rose of Sharon, I take care in offering my praise—
It’s yours for pleasure, yours forever, a flower for your vase. |
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