Roses in Full Bloom

                                                                                                                                                                  

“Every flower created by Him is beautiful.”

Saint Therese of Lisieux                                                                                                                                                                  

If you have taken a moment to check out the logo for Catholic Coffee Shop, you may have noticed that a rose is blossoming out of the pages of a book. My love for roses has been a slow but steadily growing relationship beginning with the first dozen my husband sent me before we started dating. Over the years, I’ve learned not only to appreciate their elegance, but also to value the parallels one can make between roses and the blossoming of our souls.

 

There is so much that could be said about roses relating to faith, but the imagery that has been coming to mind lately is how the process of caring for a rose bush is like our soul’s growth in holiness.

 

Take a moment to imagine a rose bush in full blossom. Picture its rich color, its sweet fragrance, its perfectly layered petals reaching toward the sun. This is our soul in full blossom—every virtue is on display all at once.

 

Now picture that same rose bush with a few of its blossoms bursting with color while a handful on the bush are wilting. Still beautiful. Still fragrant. Still a beauty to behold, but there is work to be done.

 

And so, a gardener begins the important work of pruning the dying blossoms, cutting them back so they can grow deeper roots and begin again. A fresh start. Another opportunity to reach their full potential.

 

This metaphor has been such an encouragement to me over the last few years. Of course, I desire for my soul to be bursting forth in full bloom all at once. And at the end of every day, the perfectionist in me is disappointed. But I’m learning to not let the process discourage me.

 

And as I’ve done a better job of listening for the Gardener’s voice, I’ve learned how important it is to trust the process. I’m learning that pruning, although it can feel painful and slow, is the only way forward. Most of all, I’m beginning to appreciate that I was planted in this time and this place for a purpose. I’m embracing the fact that I’ve been called to bloom where I’m planted, even when it doesn’t perfectly match what I’ve dreamed up for myself.

 

This messy garden is where God has called us to blossom, not because He is careless or unconcerned, but rather, because He can see the big picture of how we all work together in His garden. He can see each of us in full bloom even though we aren’t there yet. And because he is the Master Gardener, we have to trust that His plan for the garden is beautiful beyond our wildest dreams. We have to trust the process.