A Dying Rose- Look, See, Pray

Dying rose… “Raspberry Ripple” is melting away. Should I be sad?

Just one flower. It lived its life, shared its beautiful colour, and promises more roses next summer.

It’s unusual to post a photo of an imperfect failing flower. Yet many of us in Britain and beyond have been impacted by the passing of Queen Elizabeth- and Death is something we are thinking of and talking about. Hence a tragic rose…

Gardening gives frequent reminders of mortality! We do our best to tend our plants, experiment with new ones, and enjoy successes. The flip side is losing plants to pests, accident, old age, or frost. Our attempts to “control” a garden are destined to (at least) partial failure: and some of us provide the kiss of death to any green growth!

Death is the gateway at the end of a season or a life. It may be delayed, but cannot be cheated. But it can be overcome; and the fear of death need not hold us in its grip.

It is coming up for three years since I was diagnosed with cancer. The horrible moment when the doctor breaks the bad news and explains what (if any) treatment is possible… Then the haste to perform surgery. My surgeon walked me down to the operating theatre, meeting the highly competent team- and I wasn’t feeling scared. That day I fully understood the promise of Jesus of “a peace that passes human understanding.” I now have a nice big physical scar- but not emotional/spiritual ones.

Somewhen in the next two months I will be going for scans to check my health and (hopefully) confirm the cancer is gone. Watch this space…

There will be a day when time runs out for my body, one way or another! God’s promises will still hold good. “He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 25 v8)

In Revelation 21:4 is a vision of a perfect existence with God when the fears and tears of death will have lost all their power: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Our rose is dead- long live the Rose!

The final Word is from Jesus Himself: John 11:25-26

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though they die. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?“

It is truly a life-or-death question.

Resilient Love – Look, See, Pray

My resilient red rosebud- complete with scars

A red rose- the flower of romance. This little bud shows off the best quality of real love- resilience. Despite shocking weather for July (strong winds and heavy showers) it has blossomed boldly. The scarlet is intense, the fragrance delightful. Entirely suitable for a romantic gift to my sweetheart.

Yet if you look closely, you see the scars that it bears. The outer petals have been marked by the onslaught of the elements. Discolouration and ragged edges prove this rose is not just for a passing fancy. More than romance, this red rose speaks of true love.

Our constant flirting with romance and sensuality can cheapen our appreciation of real love. Lovers bear scars from the rough edges of life; lovers have learned to go through troubles and survive them. None of us can control the circumstances we will face over the years- but to be accompanied with true love means we face life with renewed gratitude for the good things, and shared sorrows for the sadness and loss that comes to us all.

For Juliet and I, a red rose brings back memories. We became acquainted through our church, and began the journey of discovery and joy that led us to our wedding. I wore a red rose in my lapel.

There is a deeper love that we have shared: it’s the Love we have discovered through Jesus Christ. It would take too long to tell our story; and some parts of it we will keep private. However, we can say that through our 33 years of marriage, there is a golden thread that binds us, and leads us to the Presence of the Christ that has been with us in joy, sorrow, confusion and uncertainty. Health issues have cropped up, and scared us silly. Believing in God, and trusting Him, is not a red carpet walk to dreamland! It’s about real life, real people, and continuing to trust whilst holding onto promises made and received.

When I was a kid, bumps and bruises could be sorted by getting Mum to “kiss it better.” Adults don’t qualify for that therapy! But sharing the best and worst of times, committed to holding each other up, and knowing that the greatest Love the world could ever know is a present Reality… well, there are scars but they are marks of triumph as well as suffering. The Christian good news is of a Saviour with scars, a Lord with the bruises of battle. Death and Resurrection… the first sounds so final, until you realise that Jesus defeated Death- and in His Resurrection, he triumphed for eternity.

To wonder if Jesus toyed with the idea of running away from the Cross… then to understand He embraced its cruel kiss. This is where the scars came from. If God were to sent you a red rose- would you reject it because its scarred marking, or rejoice in the resilience of True Love?

I wish I could give God a rose to say “Thank you.”

I don’t think He’d mind if it showed a few blemishes, some scars from the journey. I’m learning to be resilient, to keep on getting back to my feet after I stumble. I keep visualising an Arm across my shoulders, hearing an encouraging whisper in my ear, and picking up a fragrance that makes even the reddest rose seem not quite heavenly. Yet.

Thank You, Lord, for a resilient rosebud that taught me a valuable lesson today. Amen!

Psalm of the Rose- Look, See, Pray

Sing to the Lord a NEW song! Let my whole being worship You!

Photographing a rosebud which survived the heavy rain this week inspired me to write my own Psalm. The sheer delicate beauty of roses always attracts me, and they make such striking images.

So here is my “Psalm of the Rose”…. I hope it inspires you to focus your attention on Almighty God for a few moments this morning.

May the peace and grace of God keep you in eternal peace.

How lovely is this new day!

Everything in my soul rejoices.

Radiant Sun, warming my heart;

Gentle breeze, charming my skin.

Roses, arise! Declare the Creator’s joy.

Birds, sing anthems! Declare that God is good.

Let all that lives praise the Lord.

You, O Lord, are mighty, Your heart delights in us.

Let all that has breath sing praise to your Holy Name. (c) Richard Starling, 2019

Unbeaten- Look, See, Pray

Gardening is in the blood of my family. The appreciation of beauty was instilled early, together with the realisation that the gardener never has full control. Jobs take longer, pests invade, or the good old British weather trumps your hand.

In my mind’s eye, there is a rose bed out front. Problem is… the roses are out the back, in pots!

Clearing the overgrown shrubs and brambles takes longer than I hoped. Our clay soil also has a mind of its own- too boggy in winter, rock solid in summer. Yet there is hope.

Last week the rain came lashing down. One of my “David Austin” roses, Boscobel, had just opened up before the apocalypse began.

Last year the rose looked gorgeous.

It has struggled this time round. Pot life doesn’t suit it well. Fewer flowers have bloomed.

This time the rain tried to dissolve the rose!

The petals became translucent, and the colour changed. Very strange to see.

Gardeners are patient; and they don’t give up easily. I’m taking this semi-dissolved rose as a symbol of hope. The plant has survived. It has not been beaten.

Life lesson? You are never beaten until you don’t get up anymore.

Life rarely turns out as we expect or “plan”… and life brings disappointments as well as triumphs. Quite a lot of the time living is just about keeping on going, doing the ordinary, believing and trusting that God won’t let us go.

Prayer point: Has there been a deluge on your rose recently? Something that has spoilt your dreams, rattled your cage, threatened your future security?

Make that the focus of your prayer. Trust the Lord to bring fresh growth, renew the damaged roses: and maybe even see something beautiful or insightful in the situation. My translucent rose has a magnificence of its own, even with its imperfection. Study the consequence of the storm, look for beauty in the moment. Rain affected the bloom- but the plant survives. Unbeaten.

Lord, whatever is going on right now, and however it looks in the middle of the deluge, may Your Spirit renew and keep me UNBEATEN. The best IS yet to come. Amen.

Just a yellow rose- Look, See, Pray

One rose… different faces. They say “the camera never lies…” but you may not recognise its truths! This is one rose, with one photograph edited in different ways. The camera sensor digitally records the light falling and being reflected back from the rose. The first picture is the camera’s best effort at realism.

The second picture shows what the computer program can do to try and make the photo look more like what the eye actually sees.

My THIRD photo is intriguing. The software has attempted to process the image by bringing ALL the digital information “to the surface.” I didn’t expect this result.

The program has “found” blue light reflected in the shadowy parts of the rose.

It is ONLY the information “recorded” by the sensor… the blue IS present- but normally filtered out.

Questions and beliefs may seem simple at first sight. There is usually more complexity waiting to be discovered and explored.

Look, see, pray. This is what I am discovering to be realistic: as I look, I learn to see more. The more I see, the more I engage in “conversation” with God through thought and prayer.

What I see is what I pray: what I think about is what I become.

Thank God who created a world of such beauty and variety. May I become more like God in character and motive; and in action.