Monday, November 6, 2023

Day One: The Christmas Rose


 The Christmas Rose

An Advent Story Calendar

Day One


He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; 

yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Ecclesiastes 3:11


Joe puttered. In his younger days, he ran, skipped, and sometimes, danced through his days, but as his life grew longer, his run became a walk, and his gambol slowed from ramble to shamble. Shambling from one task to the next, Joe daydreamed or got lost in his memories. He kept no lists, no schedules, and made no plans (other than doctors’ appointments and remembering to take his pills). Joe puttered.


Most of his puttering happened in the small greenhouse he and his Darling Rose had added to their house after their son and daughter had grown up and skipped and gamboled into their own lives. Rose was not her given name but, since she filled his life with beauty and lifted his senses with delight, Darling Rose was the name written on Joe’s heart. Rose had walked alongside Joe for fifty-three years. Without Rose, he filled his home and heart with memories and the roses in his greenhouse.


Among the roses, Joe found peace. Accompanied by his memories, he puttered. On the days he missed his Rose most, his memories roamed accompanied by music inspired by flowers. As Joe and his memories waltzed with Tchaikovsky’s flowers, a crash shattered his peace.


Joe’s roses were littered with glass. 


Rose History: Roses have been a symbol of love for centuries. Fossil evidence is evident from before humans came into existence. Rose fossils have been found in Yugoslavia and Germany.  Roses have symbolized God’s love and work in the world since ancient times. The intricacy and elegance of the rose show the Creator’s hand in the smallest details. Beauty is God’s work.


Rose Hues: Red roses symbolize love, passion, and unwavering commitment. In Christian symbolism, red roses also symbolize martyrdom. Red roses are often depicted in sacred art.


Prayer: Father of beauty, help me to share your beautiful love with unwavering commitment.  Help me add beauty to your world today.  Amen


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