I had learned a few years ago that roses speak to the nature of our relationship with our Father in Heaven. You see God is the Master Gardener and we are his beautiful flora.
For, consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they toil not, neither do they spin; and the kingdoms of the world, in all their glory, are not arrayed like one of these. D&C 84:82
Consider the following similarities between a rose garden and the relationship we have with our Father:
~He sees the potential of a tiny seed to grow into a bold, beautiful flower.
~Each of us is unique, some small or big, grow in groups or on our own, each is beautiful.
~He nurtures us gently day by day with all the spiritual nutrients we need to grow.
~He cares for us even though our thorns would scare others away.
But perhaps the most powerful lessons I've learned from roses are these:
He prunes us down to help us grow. Roses naturally will put all of their energy into growing as many blooms as possible as well as the rose hips that carry their seeds. Even though that is the natural process for a rose, it leaves little energy to strengthen its roots and ensure survival through the winter. So the gardener will prune the rose, cutting back the number of buds and removing the rose hips. The result is a strong rose bush with fewer, bigger blooms and deep roots.
Our master gardener knows the long cold winters that lie ahead of us. He knows the strength we need in our roots. So He prunes out of our lives things that we as natural men may see as important, wonderful, and beautiful. They may be all of those things, but they are things that pull our energy away from where we need it. He sees where our roots need strengthening. It is a painful process, one that can seem cruel and uncaring. But in the end we are left with bigger beautiful successes in our lives and deeper stronger roots that can carry us through dark winters.
We can last through long winters and bloom in the warmth of His Son. We each go through long cold seasons in our lives. We can sometimes see the light, but not feel the full warmth of the sun. We need only look to the Son, our Savior and Brother, to give us the light and strength we need to last through winter, one day at a time, until we can again feel the full warmth of his love and happiness and bloom once again.
Therefore, will I not make solitary places to bud and to blossom, and to bring forth in abundance saith the Lord. D&C 117:7
He loves us. As the Master Gardener, everything he does in his garden is for our growth and happiness. Though it may seem hard after a vigorous pruning or through the long days of winter, His love and care will lead us to bloom with incredible vibrancy beauty, if we will only follow Him and His Son.
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Monica Lynn is wifey and momma dedicated to making life beautiful. You can follow her adventures at Domestic Artistry.
