This afternoon I had an unusual, pleasant, never seen before surprise! I went out to water my roses that we had transplanted to a sunny spot, since they apparently did not like where I had planted them two years ago. They had struggled to live the past 24 months and were about to give up. My husband was going to dig them up anyway, so might as well give them another chance.
They have perked up, reaching upward as the sunrise catches them each morning, rising to the noonday sky. They cool for a bit in the shade of the trees for about an hour before the setting sun peaks through and bathes them again in it's light.
Today, as I walked around the house lugging the hose pipe (water hose for those of you in the north, lol ) to spray them with the cool water, I almost tripped over my feet with surprise!
There among the little red rose buds and a couple of weeds, bloomed a beautiful yellow rose! Now how in the world did that yellow rose come up from those transplanted red roses? I am so excited!! For you see, the yellow rose is my very favorite rose of all!!
The yellow rose stands tall and proud...any rose can be a red rose, but it take something special to be different and be yellow. My daddy only gave me one rose in his lifetime. I was riding around with him one day and he had to stop at Roper's Florist, because he had been doing some work for Mr. Roper. He told me to stay in his truck and he would be right back out. He came out with a tissue paper and handed it to me. As I unwrapped it, it was a long stem yellow rose, a moment I will never forget!
As I stood there, staring at this rose today, I thought about we as Christians, living among the thorns and weeds in this world. There were other roses there, ordinary red roses, budding and blooming as they do. But then, there among them was one that was different, it stood out with it's glow and grace. The yellow rose had somehow come forth after the transplant and bloomed right among the reds!
We should be like that rose, we should bloom right where we are planted. We are God's flowers and He gives us all we need to be nourished among the ordinary people. But we as Christians should stand out with a glow and grace as we reflect the light that shines on us.
I just pray that one day I will have the beauty inside as much as the yellow rose does on the outside. I will never look at a rose again without thinking about my own life and am I growing for Him.
Blessings,
gs
When I hear sweet songs about the great love of God, my heart would almost stop if it wasn't leaping in the spirit! God's love is far beyond imaginable to our little earthly minds.
When we were deployed to Louisiana once, a man came up to me and shared about his death experience. First let me explain that I do believe in these experiences because I too believe in life after death. However, I am always cautious to not let the devil take me on a trip down the wrong path when someone starts to share their stories with me. I can often tell the difference in the beginning when it is too much of 'I did this' or 'I know this' stuff. Because I believe when you die and go to heaven, the love and focus is so much on God, you forget about yourself and bask in Him.
Now, back to this gentleman's story of heaven: He said to me, "Ginger, you just cannot put into words or imagine the love that is felt there." He continued, "I love my wife very much, but that love is nothing compared to the love of God which surrounded my very being. My soul was full of Him from the top of my head to my toes, I could feel the love. I felt like I even breathed in the love and it exhaled from my nostrils!" His eyes watered and tears slowly trickled down his cheeks as he remembered the experience.
This past week Denny and I were watching a Christian television show and they spoke of Abraham going to the mountain to sacrifice his son, as God had commanded him to do. Now Abraham was obedient in what God had asked him to do, even when he loved his child beyond measure, he was willing. I love my children and grandchildren so much. I am thankful God does not ask us to do this act.
Gen. 22:2 "Take your son," He said, "your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."
Other gods had been given sacrifices in the past that included humans, even children, during that era.
But, notice one difference here with Abraham, God stopped him from giving his son back to God. God gave him an animal for the sacrificial blood.
As this was being shown on television, my mind ran off again in another direction as it often does. It dawned on me of this scenario of Abraham and what I had never seen before! (now I know you probably already know this, but I am going to share it anyway!)
God asked (already knowing He was going to tell Abraham to stop) for his son, Isaac, to be sacrificed.
God knew He would provide the temporary sacrifice, a ram in the thicket.
But further more, I think God was thinking some things....
He knew Abraham's son was not the supreme sacrifice, it had to be, HIS SON, Jesus!
He asked for Abraham's son, but then He gave His own son for all of us to be the supreme sacrifice!
That is how great His love is for us here on earth. I just can't imagine heaven, if it is greater there like they say!
Maybe that is why He tells us to love each other. So we can get used to the love overflowing He has for us.
I am going to try to make a habit of loving people more and sharing His love by doing this. So you all better watch out, I have some loving to do! Hope you all will take this and do the same.
Please respond to this in love!! :)
Blessings,
gs
For the last couple of weeks, we have been traveling the southeast and even dipping down into Florida. We have done some sightseeing, as I have been doing interviews, and meeting some wonderful people. We have been encouraged and blessed by those we have crossed paths with along the way.
We have seen times when we have been anxious to move forward to see what the next hour holds for us, but we have also longed to stay in the moment other times.
One day we met up with some friends (also Billy Graham Chaplains) and played a round of golf. The wind was blowing so hard that day, no one knew where the ball was going until it hit the ground, or sand I might add! We laughed when the men decided on the third hole that they were not going to even keep score! They acted like it was for the women's benefit. But after looking for their balls a couple of times or finding them in the sand, we knew better. It was a day of fun in the sun with good friends.
The next day we met a new friend that showed us around the area. We found out that she now lives in FL, but her family lived only a few miles from our home in Alabama. Lisa and I will have a lasting friendship and I am looking forward to meeting her mother and dad.
These past few weeks reminded me of life itself. We have traveled through this world, renewing our relationships, making new friends and sometimes longing to stay right in the moment. However, there comes a longing and a time to go home.
While we were on this trip a dear friend of ours passed from this earth to his heavenly home. We have no doubt about his rejoicing in heaven, even though he enjoyed his journey here. He was always laughing and greeting people with a smile. He had lasting friendships and made new friends. But, there was a time to go to his heavenly home.
We have enjoyed our trip, here the past few weeks, but also our journey on this earth.
My prayer is that you take this journey with joy and peace He gives you, being ready to go home when He calls.
Meet up with old friends, play in the wind. Meet new friends for a lifetime. Be ready for the final journey, our heavenly home, it will last forever.
Blessings,
gs
