The world is coming to life this Spring! I just noticed that my roses are trying to bud. They remind me of my mom and her green thumb. For years I did not believe I had inherited her green thumb, but rather that I could kill a silk petunia. That belief, along with working such long hours, left me no time for plants nor the desire to even try to care for them.

About twice a year I would take my plants to Mama, broken, brown and “dead.” It seems like within a week, she’d call and say, “They’re ready for you to pick them up.” I’d go to her house to get them, and they honestly would not even look like the same plants. They would be healthy and green. Sometimes a flower would be blooming on a plant that I did not even know would bloom.  She would give me advice on how to care for them, but within no time I was back with them begging for more help. They would be drooping again. Mama has been gone now for 10 years. How I wish I could get just one more call from her, and we could visit like we used to. I really miss her.

Over the last few years, I have slowed down just a bit with my work, and I have discovered my love for flowers. I might have inherited  a tiny bit of her green thumb after all. One thing I know, working in my flowers gives me a peace and contentment that I never took time to realize before. If you have not tried it, you might want to give it a chance. There is no better therapy in my book.

When I was a little girl, Mama had the most beautiful rose garden with roses of every color and variety, and she could tell you about each one. I used to admire them all so much. I thought I was like one of these roses. You see, Mama had named me Sharon and told me that it was from the Bible, The Rose of Sharon. I really thought that my name meant that I was like one of her roses in her beautiful garden. I used to brag to my little friends, “I’m a rose!”

As I became an adult, I did not feel very much like a rose. Life kind of beat me up a little. To reiterate this fact, I also learned that Sharon is not a rose at all. It is not even a weed. It is a barren desert. Yes, that’s right, in the Bible, Sharon was a barren desert where nothing grew, not even a briar or a cactus. Maybe that’s one reason why plants never used to grow for me, you think?

Okay, I may be more like a barren desert than a rose, but the important part is that God knows my name. He knows everything about me. He knows who I am, and He knows what I need always, even better than I do. He provides the rain and the sun in my life to work His plans for my good and His glory.

My mom passed away in March ten years ago.  My nephew, Austin, was the preacher that spoke at her funeral.  She would have been so proud of him as he shared about her Jesus, and how much she loved Him. He also talked about his Granny’s gardening.  He said he believed that she could give Adam a run for his money in the gardening department. When she got to heaven, he was sure that after she worshipped God and praised Jesus and met her loved ones that she asked for a shovel to go to work in the beautiful flower gardens of heaven.

The Rose of Sharon is God. He is the beautiful rose that grows in the desert. He can take something bad in our lives and make it a beautiful work of art with His grace and mercy. We are only capable of beauty through Him. It is nothing in us, but is all because of Him. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

I can’t imagine the beauty of those roses there in Heaven, especially the beauty of our Savior. My mom waits for us in that beautiful city where the roses always bloom, and God’s Glory is the Light for all of eternity! I am looking forward to going to be with her one day.

Dear Lord: Thank You that You not only created us, but that You also know Your children’s names. With love, You nurture us. You raise us up among the thorns of this life, safe and protected in Your care. Thank You for the truths of Your Word, and that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, even bloom in the desert. Amen

I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys.  As the lily among the thorns, so is my love among the daughters. Song of Soloman 2:1-2

“True to who You are, You saw my heart and made something out of nothing.

I don’t need my name in lights. I’m famous in my Father’s eyes. Make no mistake. He knows my name. I’m not living for applause. I’m already so adored. It’s all His stage. He knows my name. He knows my name.”  –Francesca Battestelli

Please share your comments, experiences and thoughts. Thank you for reading and sharing my blogpost today. May you never doubt that the Lord knows your name, and that He loves you more than you could ever imagine.