THE ESSENCE OF A ROSE

                            




      When my daughter sent me this picture of her rose yesterday, her comment was," Mom, here is you a story. The essence of a Rose." I am sure we wonder how something as beautiful as a rose can come from all the thorns that it endures. Plus the wind, rain and sun. This is the story that came to my mind this morning as I lay in bed trying to wake up.
          "It's gone!!" said the Rose. "What are you talking about?" I said. Now who can carry on a conversation with a rose? But it was crying and the drops of dew looked just like tears to my mind's eye. "My pedal!" said the Rose. "One of my pedals is gone." As I looked around, I could see nothing amiss. But this Rose continued to sway in the breeze as it searched for the lost pedal. My imagination kicked in, and I pictured the Rose asking questions. "Have you seen my pedal, Mr Leaf?" cried the Rose. "No" said Mr. Leaf. The questions continued. "Have you seen my pedal, Mrs Frog?" said the Rose. "No, I haven't seen it." says Mrs. Frog. "Have you seen my pedal, Mrs. Owl?" said the Rose. "No, I don't believe so," says Mrs Owl. How many more she questioned and each answer was the same. No one had seen the lost pedal. I was thinking to myself that all roses lose pedals but this was different. This Rose was in the yard of my daughter and it was hurting. Suddenly a light shone through for the Rose to see. The pedal was floating upward on the air currants toward Heaven. "I know, I know."cried the Rose. "Jesus took my pedal. He wants to smell the essence of His creation."
       As I came fully awake, I knew the Lord was telling me that all things must come to an end. As each life begins, so must it have an end. Some are shorter than others so we only share them for a while. Then the Lord will take them up to His glorious Heaven and we will have the essence of them forever in our minds.