The Gift of the Rose. . .

The Last Rose of Summer - Arrangement by Bevani
(Please click for background music as you read this message of H.I.M.)

When I first began pruning a rose bush a number of years ago, I was unsure who it was going to hurt more, me or the roses? Was this pain really necessary? Was I not going to damage the rose bush even more resulting in making it weaker? What if I cut too much away?  Perhaps, if I just let things be. It looked healthy enough just as it is for now. I am sure when spring brings its welcomed showers of rain and eventual warm sunny days all of the canes of the rose bush will survive and revive, once again, along with the vibrant deep burgundy/dark green leaves. Meanwhile, the rose buds will begin swelling rapidly just waiting to burst toward the big blue summer sky with their beautiful, bold, full fragrant heads. 

Of course, as I am no master gardener, I had hope the roses would do their very best and look very impressive, which they, indeed, did for a while during the early spring/summer months.  However, then the long summer’s hot days and warm, humid nights came along with the lack of rain and cloudy days, which began taking their toll on my beautiful rose bush. The vibrant green leaves began turning yellow with black spots and mildew powder dust began appearing here and there.  Meanwhile, the insects ensured their feast on the leaves and buds were recognized leaving behind their contribution of lacy leaves found everywhere. Oh, how exhausted, depressed, deprived and dormant my lovely rose bush appeared! What could I do to revive, rejuvenate, and reinvigorate it back to its full potential, strength and beauty? 

And so, with a clean pair of pruning shears in hand, while, protecting my hands with garden gloves so as not to be pricked by one of the many needle-sharp thorns,

I carefully began cutting away dead flower head by flower head, yellow, black spotted leaf by leaf, along with any disease- and/or debris-looking spindly or sucker canes that had taken their toll on the overall health of the rose bush, while creating better airflow and reducing pest infestation for the remaining healthy canes to breathe. In addition, I carefully and regularly gave the rose bush some fresh rose food for encouragement and nourishment along with a healthy daily dose of water. Roses love a deep drenching of water but not saturated; like all of us, roses need to be taken care of with tender loving care. Hence, it was my hope that my careful process of pruning and maintenance would certainly ensure this rose bush would, once again, be healthy, strong and vibrant with an abundance of blooms. Within a short period of time, to my own amazement, new leaves began to show and new blooms began to grow! It would appear the severe pruning of the shearer’s hands did, indeed, bring forth the most beautiful array of roses.

“Does this not remind many of us of our own lives? In our early years of life, many of us have been blessed to have been taken care of with much tender loving care with the necessary nurturing and nourishment that gave us opportunity to not only blossom, but survive and thrive in becoming a beautiful person both outwardly and inwardly. However, if unprotected and not cared for properly, even as we mature, the changes in the weather conditions of our lives will, without a doubt,  take their toll bringing debris and disease into our lives.  Ultimately, this will not only infect our lives, but can be fatal, while the slugs, stress, and struggles of anxiety, anger, bitterness, disappointment, fears, loneliness, unhappiness, and worry, to name just a few, grown and spread within our lives.  Where has that beautiful rose gone and can one ever get it back?

The only “Master” Gardener I know is God, himself, who can turn this sickly rose bush back to its glory days.  For only He knows its purpose and how to nurture and nourish it back to health so it can bloom and be healthy again. However, this can require very deep cuts so close to the root that one would think how can it ever grow back? What good is it anymore? Is there anything left for it to survive and thrive?  However, we must keep in mind God, without a doubt, knows the art of pruning. I know, because, I am one of His many roses, who was sickly and needed to be severely pruned back to health! 

With the watering of His Word and the cutting of His shears He has brought forth many blossoms in my life. However, I could never have imagined this through the pain-staking process of being pruned. Like Job in chapter 23, verse 10, “But he knoweth the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold,” or from a gardener’s perspective like a beautiful, fragrant rose!      

Jesus reminds us in John 15-12, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” So, how does God do it? It is by none other than by the tool of His Word. It is one of His best gardening tools that prunes, shapes and revitalizes. 

God’s Word is sharp and to the point, but it definitely gets rid of the dead stuff that has

infected one’s life. 
Hence, some may ask~ 
Does it hurt? Yes. 
Is it painful? Most often. 
Does it really work to encourage new growth? Absolutely. 
Is it just a quick fix? Definitely not.  
How does God’s pruning process work? Often through severe changes in our circumstances forcing us to focus on the “Master” Gardener, Himself, who wants nothing more than to help us live healthier lives by getting rid of the deadwood and debris that seeps into our lives. 
Is this God's way of “getting” back at us or "punishing" us? Absolutely not. It is His way, however, of showing His love towards us by taking the time to care for us by pruning out the the debris and disease that are stagnating our growth to bloom for Him. He does not want us in pain or to deprive us of our potential, but His pruning is to nurture and nourish us to become more like Him by the hands of His shears.   
What will the end results be? It will give us a new attitude of gratitude for living with new growth of aspirations, inspirations, fortification, and beautification in our lives; most importantly, hope! 

I am greatly comforted when reading II Corinthians 4:17, especially after having had my own health severely pruned, “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”  For when I choose to see my sorrows from God’s perspective, instead of my perspective, it allows His gracious face to shine upon me, which gives me peace to blossom like a rose!           

The beauty of one’s strength and character
 can only come by  the blade of the
 Master Gardener’s  pruning shears.