And Rose Desire

“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!” (Psalm 27:13).

Folded in, wrapped, beauty yet sleeping. Potential throbbing against the outer layers. A rose bud.

Unfolding, beauty yet thorns.

The It Is Not As It Should Be.

Our Promised Land is not—

not what we expected, desired, turned out different, fell through.

And we fold in. Desires unexpressed, dreams kept. Afraid to venture out.

But we remember, we are exiles yet, seasonal roses that will pass through, fleeting beauty but yet to bear rose hips and seeds and fruit. Exiles—yet citizens. Pilgrims—but with a place reserved at the Wedding Banquet. Aliens—but with mansion rooms prepared for us. And as we fleet, we join the great cloud of witnesses, faithful testimonies that flamed in vibrant rose-reds and pinks and whites and brilliances.

But we remember, we are being trellised. The rose vines are slowly bent to the beautiful arc constructed by the Master Gardener. Together, in his plan, each vine, branch, and flower is placed for a stunning display of glory.

But we remember we are placed in community, one rose among a splendiferous manifold. When one member rejoices, the others rejoice (1 Cor. 12:26). We who feel outside are reminded that for some the boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places even here and now (Ps. 16). We whose prayers haven’t yet been answered according to our hopes, are reminded of how God answers prayer. We who are in the valley are reminded that God is also the God of mountain tops. We who are weak remember God is also the God of the strong and of strength. We roses who fear to open up our desires are encouraged by the vivacious blooming of others.

But we remember the thorns that tear our fragile petals are yet to remind us of our temporality, of a promise of no more thorns (Isa. 55:13). Thorns that press us to look to the care of the Gardener. Thorns that guard beauty—our deepest desires are treasures given by God. Deep, valuable treasures. Too valuable and precious to be fulfilled in this earth, by the fleeting breeze and the light-years-away sun. The thorns guard the true beauty.

But we remember we are flowers of the Master Gardener. We are his rose of sharons (Song of Songs 2:1). Together, roses whisper to roses of the beauty of the Gardener. His goodness. That we will still see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (Ps. 27:13). He, he, he our Promised Land when all else fails. When our Promised Lands in this world are not—he still is. Father, giver of desires. Father, fulfiller of dreams, maybe not now, but in the future. Emmanuel--the one who became a rose like us. Savior--the one who was crushed and cut off from the vine so that we could be grafted in. Gardener, the caller forth of rose beauty. 

And arose desire for him, a rose's desire. Promised Land waiting. Beauty in Triune God.  

Unfold. 

Trust.