The Resurrection Rose

I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. John 11:25 (KJV)

Roses are my favorite flowers. I bought a miniature rose with orange-yellow blossoms and planted it beside my front door. It bloomed for three years. One fall day the leaves turned black. Thinking it dead, I pulled it out of the mulched soil and tossed it on the compost pile.

Spring came and the first plants to bloom were white snowdrops and crocuses. I walked around our property noticing wild violets and woods anemones blooming. A bright orange color caught my eye. There lay the rose bush with green leaves and six orange blossoms. This bush had so much determination to live that I replanted it. My reward was an endless array of orange roses.

We decided to re-do the front patio and that meant taking out the flowers beside the front door. My uncle, a contractor, did it while I worked. Later, I found my flower bulbs and the rose bush lying on the side of the house. The rose bush was split into two pieces. It took me four days to get around to planting the bulbs and the two pieces of my rose bush. I just knew it was going to die. I planted the two pieces side by side in the new flower bed. Philippians 4:13 came to mind. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me, assured me that God could do anything if it was His will. The rose was resurrected once more to bloom profusely on two bushes!

Father, thank You for the resurrection hope for all of Your faithful children. Amen.

(c) 2012 E. Bonnie Ryan