Smelling the Roses

  Sometimes our household can get pretty chaotic and hectic ... and messy.  With 3 generations living under one roof keeping up with preschool schedules, work schedules, naps, doctors appointments, meals ... 

well, just keeping up with every aspect of everyday life can get overwhelming at times. 

But, we just dig in our heels and do whatever needs to be done.

However, there's one aspect of everyday life that I sometimes simply do not do often enough -- and that's 

"smelling the roses".  Now, literally, we have several rose bushes in our landscape.  

These pictures were taken along the side of the house next to the garage.  But we have rose bushes lining our front sidewalk, in front of our sunroom and along our back patio. 

 Well, that is ... what our friendly deer families haven't feasted on.  

But, we love our rose bushes.

So I've thought a lot about these roses lately. For some reason, I love taking pictures of them.  They are vibrant red and at least one rose always towers above the rest.  As if that particular Rose is watching over the rest of the bush (yes, capital R intended).  I thoroughly believe that God can use anything to get our attention -- 

and even give us the simplest of messages that He wants His child to hear. 

And with me ... He is using the rose.

 

Sometimes in the busy-ness of everyday schedules, I forget to simply "stop and smell the roses".  God has blessed me beyond my deepest imagination. Little nuggets throughout the day that He gives only to me so that I can grow in Him -- in whatever way I need to get my focus back to Him, He gives me.  

My nuggets may not be another person's nuggets ... but all lead to Him.  

Sure there's thorns along the way (just as in every person's life), but the beautiful blooms & sweet smells overshadow the thorns.  But in order to see and appreciate the beauty in the roses, I need to rise up above the thorns and allow God to overshadow them.  

Not to ignore they are there, but simply to focus on that which is lovely... 

just as the deer ignore the literal thorns in our rose bushes in order to feast upon the petals and leaves. 

Thorns are necessary in every rose for protection and growth ... 

just as they are necessary in our spiritual growth.

So the next time you see a rose, just remember that God can even use the thorns from 

a rose bush along with the beautiful rose itself to speak to His child ... 

it's up to each of us as to how we choose to listen and accept. 

The rose bush as a whole is made up of the petals, leaves, stem and thorns ...

just as in our lives.

I hope you take a moment just to read through the lyrics of one of my Granny's favorite singer/songwriters -- Mac Davis.  He wrote Stop and Smell the Roses (1974) that has been going through my mind for several days.  Some lyrics are timeless. And this is more than "just another song", it's

an everyday endeavor in my life.

Did you ever take a walk through the forest
Stop and dream a while among the trees
Well you can look up through the leaves right straight to heaven
You can almost hear the voice of God
In each any every breeze

You got to Stop and Smell the roses
You've got to count your many blessings everyday
You're gonna find your way to heaven is a rough and rocky road
If you don't Stop and Smell the roses along the way
Stop and Smell the Roses ... Mac Davis -- 1974