God of Roses

10-12-06

I was on my way to class the other day and I passed a rosebush. Normally I simply glance quickly at the blooms only to continue on my journey without a second thought. But this day was much different than I had expected.
A question entered my mind almost the moment I stepped into the classroom. Why did God create roses? What is so special about them? It seems as if every part of the world, no matter how hot or cold, has a rose. Every major culture seems to have some sort of cliche phrase about them too. Is there significance in this that we are overlooking?
My mind could not focus on the professor. Psychology could not begin to compare with the mystery of the rose. It would not leave, it plagued me like a cold that didn't go away. An answer must be found.
Maybe God created a rose for us to ask the question why. Why would a loving God surround such a thing of beauty with thorns? Maybe so we can liken the rose to our own lives. Maybe God is trying to show a bit of ourselves in His perfect creation. Maybe it is not a mistake. Maybe we are all roses to the Great Gardener.
It is said that every rose has its thorns. The question is not how many or how large they are, but whether or not we are thankful for them. God in no way creates suffering in our lives, but He allows pain to enter so we may be refined. James says that perseverance through trials produces faithfulness and strength. Perhaps the amount of beauty a person possesses depends on the amount of suffering they have endured.
Think again upon the rose. Young buds have no thorns, only the weak beginnings of what may become strong, sharp obstructions protruding from the stems. As the rose matures, its petals grow in size, number, and beauty. Along with the beauty comes mature, thick thorns. The larger the flower, the seemingly more numerous the thorns become.
This leads us to another cliche: there is beauty in the pain. The progression is as thus: as children, we have all tried to handle the rose. Being blinded by the beauty of the blossom, we fail to recognize the pain that will soon occur due to the thorns. We reach for beauty, but we find pain instead. We have now learned a lesson, to examine things carefully before reacting for them. If we try to grasp for the rose again and fail to miss the thorns a second time, we are quickly reminded of our past mistakes. It is now time for us to take it to heart. A lesson was indeed taught, it now must be applied.
As we grow, we can remember where the thorns are in hopes of avoiding them. Sometimes they shift around, sometimes new ones spring up. This is simply a chance for us to learn again. When we are yet even more mature, we have learned where all the thorns reside, and also to double and triple check before reaching out. Our hands have grown tougher, the skin on our fingers thicker. We have learned to admire the beauty of the rose from afar, and to understand the purpose of the thorns. For with the thorns, we learn, in learning we grow. Let us grow in appreciation for the thorns, for they are what teaches us to truly appreciate the bloom.