The Christmas Rose
An Advent Story Calendar
Day Nineteen
Just ask and it will be given to you; seek after it and you will find. Continue to knock and the door will be opened for you. All who ask receive. Those who seek, find what they seek. And he who knocks, will have the door opened. Matthew 7:7-8
The roses along Joe’s driveway shivered in the winter wind. Puddles froze as the temperature dropped as the afternoon wore on. The warmth radiating from the growth lamps caused moisture to weep down the sides of the greenhouse and freeze on the stones supporting the glass. As the stones outside froze, the stone floor inside the greenhouse cooled.
At 3:25, Dora rang Joe’s doorbell. She shook out her umbrella while she waited. When Joe didn’t answer, she walked around to the greenhouse door. The rain had stopped but the paving stones were slippery. Dora wiped a clear spot in the glass and looked inside. The roses looked happy about the rain. Strains of music came through the glass doors. It looked warm and cozy inside. Dora hoped Joe had some cocoa to share and that he would tell her the rest of the story about Madelon and the Christmas Rose.
Dora wiped more moisture from the glass. What was one of Joe’s slippers doing on the floor? Where was Joe? Dora banged on the door. The slipper wiggled. Why was Joe lying on the floor?
Dora remembered that Joe kept an emergency key under a flowerpot by the back door. Quickly, she retrieved it, ran around to the front door, and stepped inside.
“Joe!” she called.
A moan answered her call.
Rose History: During the most decadent age of the Roman Empire, peasants were ordered to grow roses instead of food to satisfy the demands of the ruling class. The swimming baths and fountains were filled with rose water and emperors sat on carpets of rose petals for their feasts. One Roman emperor showered his guests with rose petals tumbling from the ceilings during parties. Decadence weakened the empire and contributed to its fall.
Rose Hues: Black roses, often associated with death, also signal the beginning of a new era.
Prayer: Lord, we ask; we seek; we knock. Thank you for opening the door to your love. Amen
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