An
acquaintance from long ago used to sign notes with the phrase ‘rainbows and
watermelons’ followed by his name. The rainbows I could understand, but I never
did get the concept of wishing someone watermelons.
Over the
years I’ve thought about that closing and found ‘rainbows and roses’ more meaningful.
I don’t mean to take anything away from my acquaintance. This phrase just means
more to me.
Rainbows generally
come with storms. I don’t wish anyone storms, but I do realize some beautiful
things in life can only be seen when the turbulence hits. Some pine trees can
only release seeds after their cones have gone through fire. Butterflies spread
their wings only after going through the stress of breaking out of their
cocoon. Rainbows most often occur when the storm clouds break and sunlight filters
through.
Most roses
have thorns. Some varieties have been developed which have no thorns, but who
remembers those? In my personal garden five varieties share their colors every
spring and summer. One type has quarter size blooms that open white and then
turn to soft pink as they age. The thorns are small and mostly annoying.
Another type of rosebush produces a bloom with broad petals of half dollar
size, one bush bright red, the other snow white. Again their thorns are mostly
a nuisance. In both cases the bushes are short and the blossoms, though pretty,
have no fragrance. They simply add color and variety.
The other
three provide a different experience. The peach rose sends out canes six and
seven feet long. Each cane ends in a cluster of buds that open into four inch
flowers. The yellow rose, though short and slow growing, produces a blossom
even larger. The deep red rose will send up canes about three feet each topped
with a single blossom that can be five inches across. In all three cases the
fragrance is strong and mingles with the other flowers.
Did I
mention that all three of the aromatic roses have thorns that can strip the
flesh from your bones? No piddling sandpaper on these plants! They are man
eaters. The deep red bush in particular with its fragrance that can be detected
several feet away when it’s in full bloom can have thorns a half inch long or
longer. You can enjoy their aroma and beauty up close, but extreme caution will
be practiced by the wise.
I would
rather not go through a strong thunderstorm, but the glory of a rainbow shining
out against the dark clouds is a wonder no one should ever miss. Thorns can
leave some nasty scars, but I can accept the potential pain as long as I have
the opportunity to walk among roses in full bloom. In the midst of pain, beauty
will win us over when our determination hesitates.
Roses still
generally come with thorns. Rainbows usually come after storms. The
resurrection of Jesus Christ could only come after the crucifixion. In a season
of thanksgiving, we can be thankful that thorns have roses, storms bring about
rainbows, and out of a Roman crucifixion there came a resurrection.
1Pe
1:3 Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because
of his great mercy he gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. This
fills us with a living hope,
1Pe 1:4 and so we look forward to possessing the rich blessings that
God keeps for his people. He keeps them for you in heaven, where they cannot
decay or spoil or fade away.
These
holidays make it easy to focus upon getting and giving material things. I will
be working hard to remember the spiritual side. We can ignore this as most
people will do, but we will lose something critical. The birth of a special
Child, his life, his death, and the miracle that showed it had eternal
significance makes for a reason to be thankful even when we get pricked by a
thorn, have to endure a thunderstorm, or remember a cross that gave us life as
He gave up His.
Rainbows and
roses to all of you this season.
