It has been a long time since I've written last. To be honest I don't have a good excuse as to why, other than I've been struggling a lot lately and I really have not felt up to it. I know that is a pretty lame excuse, but I don't have any other explanation. However, I'm writing now and I want to get back into the swing of doing it more often again.
As many of you know the last several years have been very hard. I've been stretched to my breaking point, or so it felt, again and again. I've felt the feeling of not being able to go on anymore. Life has just been really hard to be frank. But I did not decide to write again just to unload on you. I have more to share that's a lot better.
Today I was outside watering some plants. God has given me this picture many times, but as I was watering I took a literal look at it. That is the picture of a rose.
When I'm standing above a rose, this is what I see. A beautiful rose blooming perfectly. If I didn't know any better, this would be all I thought a rose was. But when looking up at a rose from underneath, I see something totally different.
I see a bunch of thorns twisted around the stem among many leaves, and I barely can see the actual rose. It doesn't look as pretty from the underside. How often do we look at our own lives this way? If we compare this to our lives, and we try to look ahead, we too see a lot of twist and turns that don't make any sense. As we endure suffering and pain, life just looks like a bunch of thorns to us. Pain hurts, it hurts bad. No matter if it is physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual, we don't like it when we have to endure pain. I know I don't like it. All the storms that have been thrown into my life have been incredibly hard. Everything from dozens of surgeries, loss of loved ones, various medical problems, etc.. Very much have felt like a twisted mess not making much sense to me. but one thing that has been a constant thing in my life is God's everlasting love. He has walked by my side through all of the ups and downs. He's carried me through when I had no more strength left within me. He's used me to touch other lives and to bring honor and glory to Him. I've had great divine appointments through the years. I've gained great friendships and through it all, I know that Jesus has never left me alone.
When God looks down on me, He is looking at a beautiful rose that He created. God sees the whole picture of my life, and He knows what He's doing. He wants others to come to Him and He uses our trials and tribulations to bring people to Him. The people who have influenced me the most in my life are the people who understand.
I want to encourage you. I want you to know that you're a beautiful rose that God sees. You may feel like your life is a bunch or twisted thorns that seem unending but through God's eyes, He does see the whole picture. You're growing into a beautiful rose as you walk through life. God promises to never leave us. Not only does He promise us that, but He also died for you so you can have a relationship with Him. You can cry out to Him directly and He will hear you. He's there to comfort you no matter what you are going through. He also understands what you're going through. While Jesus was on earth He went through much pain and suffering of all kinds. We can't even imagine what He al went through. He did it all because He loved us so much. He will forever walk with us.
