We've had some rain this week. I mean the kind of heavy spring rain that comes suddenly in huge drops, pounds down and is gone as suddenly as it came, leaving towering white clouds and blue skies behind it. One of those particularly heavy rains overflowed our gutters and beat down onto my
rose bush.
You need to understand that several years ago, we had significant problems with flooding in our finished basement that required us to have the drains surrounding our home replaced. That meant ripping out all- yep, all- landscaping around our house. My poor home looked like a kid with a buzz cut- just sitting there with nothing growing around it. And then, my friend Kelli, perceiving my need as good friends do, bought me a rose bush which I planted near our front door. That was years ago and we haven't undertaken the major project of re-landscaping an entire yard. (Do you know how expensive landscaping is? Sheesh!)
Anyway, the rose bush is my singular blooming object in a sea of nothingness. It's the source of my attention in the summer, because it blooms for a long time and and at any time I can cut a dark pink blossom and have it near me, which I love. So this week, I was really bummed to come home and see that a summer storm had nearly beaten my rose bush to death. Like a old woman, it was leaning painfully forward, unable to stand anymore. I wasn't sure what to do. Last year, a storm similarly beat it over, but not this badly. I knew I couldn't leave it as it was. It was 4 feet tall and full with foliage and blooms, so it was very heavy. If I left it alone, it would never stand again, and be at risk to die altogether. I thought about simply staking it to help it stand, but knew from articles I've read and advice I've gotten that staking it wouldn't be enough. I had to remove some weight from the bush.
Today, I picked up my handheld pruners, and started cutting away at my beloved rose bush. It hurt my heart a little to toss limbs full of fragrant blooms onto the sidewalk. But I knew it was absolutely necessary to cut the bush back for it to thrive. I was struck by the spiritual parallel. Time and again in scripture, the image of pruning is used to teach us that sometimes, things need to be cut off and removed from our lives for our good. There have been so, so many times when I've felt as though things I thought were beautiful and good (and even necessary) in my life- like the roses- were being denied me, removed or simply torn away by the Lord and I did not see the rationale. But... to His great glory, He did. And it only needs to make sense to Him. After all, He knows me better than me.
So as I finished my cutting, with my heap of limbs on the sidewalk, I couldn't help but grin as I realized something. I was all bummed about having to hack up my precious bush- even though I had confidence the action may save it. And in the end, I not only had hope that the rose bush would survive, I stood there surrounded by a blanket of rose petals- that hasn't happened since my wedding day almost 22 years ago- and with two vases full of beautiful flowers. Hmmm. God really is being loving when He carefully clips away at those things in my life that have to go- even if they look beautiful to me. And He most likely even feels a twinge of pain if I feel pain because of His tenderness toward those He loves. But... He also is so terribly kind. At those times when I've felt the most cut apart, He has made sure that I notice the petals. He's kindly surrounded me with a thousand tiny reminders through His Spirit that He loves me... He loves me... He loves me... with every petal. Romans 5:1-5
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."
