I Don’t Like Stingy Roses

I love roses. I like to get them from the Grocery store or the florist. But mostly I like to grow them. I have a lot of rose bushes in my yard and they put on a grand first blush (that’s rosarian speak for the first blooms in the spring.)

If you asked a real rosarian (btw, I’m not one) they will tell you all the kinds of roses: climbing, shrub, tea, etc…. But as far as I’m concerned there are only two types: repeat bloomers and what I call stingy bloomers. The stingy ones have a great first blush and then a week later nothing but leaves. And this continues for the rest of the rose year. It’s such a letdown. Now the ones I have are repeat bloomers. You dead head them (rosarian speak for cut off the dead blooms) and they bloom again and again and again. All spring and all summer and into the fall if the weather cooperates.

This year has been great for roses. I told my neighbor she could cut all she wanted to give to her mom for Mother’s Day. At first she was hesitant. She said, “I can’t take away all of your roses!” To which I said, “Sure you can. The more you cut them the more they bloom.”

 That’s when I had an “AHA” moment.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:8

Yes, yes, I knew this story. Bear fruit. Bear much fruit. The Greek word is “polus” and is about quantity, more and more, repeating often. We are to be repeat bloomers! Aha.

I know the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (From Galatians 5:22) But I had mistakenly looked at these fruits from “I gotta have these things” instead of “I gotta give these things.”

If I just pat myself on the back and say, “I have the fruits of the Holy Spirit, “ I’m being stingy with the fruit. I think I’m supposed to give these fruits away to others and then repeat bloom, again and again. Give people what I know about Jesus so that they can know Him.

Give love.

Give joy

Give peace.

Give patience.

Give kindness.

Give goodness.

Give faithfulness.

Give gentleness.

Give self-control.

Give and produce more and give it again.

The more you give the more you will bloom. It sounds kind of hokey but it’s true.