Rose Colored Glasses

Sitting on my kitchen table is one long-stemmed, white rose in a pink bud vase. Whenever my husband has to fly for work, he brings me home a rose from FINE Airport Parking. It is a fun tradition, and I look forward to it. 

When he brings the rose home, it is in a plastic sleeve, and the flower petals are tight and close together. After a few days, the petals begin to open and, of course, eventually wilt.  

There is something magical about watching the rose as the petals expand and curl.

I’ve been watching this rose expand for several days, and it got me thinking about how this flower knows what to do. It isn’t confused about its purpose. It simply grows, blooms, and dies. 

While the rose is alive, it offers us vibrant beauty. It invites us to slow down and pay attention because it won’t be around for long. Its life is fleeting. 

And then I am reminded that my life, too, is fleeting. 

Psalm 103:14-18 (NLT)
For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. 
Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. 
The wind blows, and we are gone - as though we had never been here. 

But the love of the Lord remains 
    forever 
with those who fear him. 
His salvation extends to the 
    children’s children 
of those who are faithful to his 
    covenant, 
of those who obey his 
    commandments! 

Isaiah 40:6-8 (NLT)
A voice said, “Shout!” 
I asked, “What should I shout?”

“Shout that people are like the 
    grass. 
Their beauty fades as quickly
as the flowers in a field.
The grass withers and the flowers
    fade
beneath the breath of the Lord.
And so it is with people. 
The grass withers and the flowers 
    fade,
but the word of our God stands
    forever.”

We don’t know how long our lives will be, but for however many days we are here, the hope is that we will bear the image of Jesus and live beautiful lives that point others to him.  

Sometimes, we think that for our lives to be meaningful, we must do big things—world-changing, earth-shaking things. 

And yet, I am confident that the everyday things are just as important as the monumental things. 

    •    What are the everyday ways that you reflect Jesus to those around you? 

May we each be more like the rose - confident in who God created us to be and unbothered by the brevity of our days. 


~  Melissa