Thanksgiving Roses

Sandra felt as low as the heels of her Birkenstocks when she pulled open the florist shop door, against a November gust of wind. Her life had been as sweet as a spring breeze and then in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a "minor" automobile accident stole her joy. This was Thanksgiving week and the time she should have delivered their infant son. She grieved over their loss. 

Troubles had multiplied. Her husband's company "threatened" to transfer his job to a new location. Her sister had called to say that she could not come for her long awaited holiday visit. 

THEN! Sandra's friend suggested that Sandra's grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer. 

"She has no idea what I'm feeling," thought Sandra with a shudder. "Thanksgiving? Thankful for what?" she wondered. "For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved her life, but took her child's?" 

"Good afternoon, can I help you?" Sandra was startled by the approach of  the shop clerk. 

"I....I need an arrangement," stammered Sandra. 

"For Thanksgiving? Do you want the beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to challenge the day with a customer favorite I call the 'Thanksgiving Special'? I'm convinced that flowers tell stories," she continued. 

"Are you looking for something that conveys 'gratitude' this Thanksgiving?" 

"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out. "In the last five months, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong." 

Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the clerk said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you." 

Then the bell on the door rang, and the clerk greeted the new customer, "Hi, Barbara...let me get your order." She excused herself and walked back to a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greenery, bows, and what appeared to be long-stemmed thorny roses.

Except the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped: there were no flowers.

"Do you want these in a box?" asked the clerk.

Sandra watched for the customer's response. Was this a joke? Who would want rose stems with no flowers?

She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed. "Yes, please," Barbara replied with an appreciative smile. "You'd think after three years of getting the special, I wouldn't be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again." She said, as she gently tapped her chest.

Sandra stammered, "Ahh, that lady just left with, uh....she left with no flowers!"

"That's right, said the clerk. "I cut off the flowers. That's the 'Special'. I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet."

"Oh, come on! You can't tell me someone is willing to pay for that!" exclaimed Sandra.

"Barbara came into the shop three years ago, feeling much as you do, today," explained the clerk. "She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had just lost her father to cancer; the family business was failing; her son had gotten into drugs; and she was facing major surgery."

"That same year I had lost my husband," continued the clerk. "For the first time in my life, I had to spend the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too much debt to allow any travel."

"So what did you do?" asked Sandra.

"I learned to be thankful for thorns," answered the clerk quietly. "I've always thanked God for the good things in my life and I NEVER questioned Him why those GOOD things happened to me, but when the bad stuff hit, I cried out, "WHY? WHY Me?!" It took time for me to learn that the dark times are important to our faith! I have always enjoyed the 'flowers' of my life but it took the thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort! You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted, and from His consolation we learn to comfort others."

Sandra sucked in her breath, as she thought about the thought that her friend had tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is, I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God."

Just then someone else walked in the shop. "Hey, Phil!" the clerk greeted the balding, rotund man. "My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving arrangement...twelve thorny, long-stemmed stems!" laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator.

"Those are for your wife?" asked Sandra incredulously.

"Do you mind telling me why she wants a bouquet that looks like that?"

"No...I'm glad you asked," Phil replied. "Four years ago, my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord's grace and guidance, we trudged through problem after problem. The Lord rescued our marriage. Jenny, here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she had learned from "thorny" times.

That was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific "problem" and give thanks for what that problem taught us. As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special!"

"I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life." Sandra said to the clerk. "It's all too...fresh."

"Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me that the thorns make the roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember, it was a crown of  thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love. Don't resent the thorns."

Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident, she loosened her grip on her resentment. "I'll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns, please," she managed to choke out.

"I hoped you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them ready in a minute."

"Thank you. What do I owe you?"

"Nothing. Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The first year's arrangement is always on me." The clerk smiled and handed a card to Sandra. "I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you would like to read it first."

It read:
My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to You along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much more brilliant."

Praise Him for the roses, thank Him for the thorns

Glory in Spendor... Glory in Shame... Glory to Your Name

"Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah."" (Matthew 17:4 NAS95)

Observation:  While Peter was offering to make three tents, the Father engulfed them in his presence.  As the impetuous one was still speaking, God's grace became the tent of Moses, Elijah, Jesus and His disciples.  His favor sheltered them with the words: "This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him"  At this moment the disciples were experiencing the reality of Jesus words:  

""For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."" (Matthew 18:20 NAS95)

The Shekinah was among them.  The Beloved of the Father shining in all His glory, just as He'd promised His disciples six days earlier:

""Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."" (Matthew 16:28 NAS95)

This morning as I was beginning this prayer time, I decided to pray a covering prayer from Skip MacCarty's covering prayers email that he sent me a few years ago.  This was the prayer for the 17th of the month:

Show me Your glory, strengthening me anew every morning with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, that I may grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and through that love surpasses knowledge, help me to know it and be rooted and established in it that I may be filled to the measure of Your own fullness, reflecting Your glory and love to others in my character, words and actions that they might be attracted and drawn to You.  (Ex. 33:19-20; Isa.  33:2; Mt. 5:14-16; 2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 3:14-19; Phil. 1:9-11) 

As I reflect on this prayer, and upon the Father's overshadowing of Jesus and His disciples... I realize that to see God's glory is to see Jesus.  And our only worthy response to that glory is obedience:

"Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully." (Psalms 24:3–4 NAS95)

""Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8 NAS95)

The Lord reveals Himself to the pure in heart; to those willing and ready to obey.  He reveals himself to humble fisherman who willingly leave their nets to go wherever His bidding will lead them.  He reveals himself to those willing to listen to His Beloved Son.

The Pharisees and Sadducees desired to see Jesus in His glory... "they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. But He replied to them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' "And in the morning, 'There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times? "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah."" (Matthew 16:1–4 NAS95)

Granted, the sign of Jonah was a glorious moment.  But it was glory cloaked in darkness.  Glory cloaked in suffering and shame.  Because of their disobedient and rebellious hearts, this was the only glory with the potential power to bring the murderous throng to the point where they could see Christ in His radiant glory.  

In fact, it was Peter, one of those who had been with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration who would speak to these hardened sinners who had stood mocking at Mount Calvary... At the Pentecost, the glory of that moment with Jesus, Moses, and Elijah would rest upon the disciples of the upper room and as Peter preached, the crowd would be convicted of the glory that had been veiled in shame and reproach before them at Mount Calvary:

""Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death...  But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power... Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.

Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."  (Acts 2:22–24, 33, 37–38 NAS95)

So what does this all mean?  Well if you want to see Jesus glory in splendor, follow Him, obey Him, trust Him; otherwise the cross is where you will witness His glory.  In our disobedience the only thing which can get to you and I, is the glory of the cross.  There is no other sign, no other manifestation of God's presence that can break the power of sin in our lives.  

In fact, even those who listen and follow still need the cross.  Because while we may do good things... at our core we are contagious with the infectious disease of sin.  And when we least expect it, it raises it's ugly head in our lives.

Application:  As I look back on my life, I realize that I have had those Mount of Transfiguration experiences.  I have beheld the glory of God.  The first one I can remember was student week of prayer at Andrews Academy.  Another glory of God experience was Lynn Bryson in the seventh grade.  Then there was the time when I was walking up above the Path Finder building and the crimson leaves of autumn.  There was the moment when I called Laurence after finishing the song Take Me Now.  There was the prayer time with the pastors above Estes Park and the prayer time this March at The Cove.  

I am so grateful to God for all the glorious moments He has bestowed upon me.  But I realize that I still need Calvary.  Because it is all too easy to become proud and boastful about the moments I have spent in His glory.  I realize from yesterday's study and reflection that Lucifer was one who stood closest to the Father, but he fell away because of spiritual pride.  And just the time when I think I am over spiritual pride, it can rise up again in me.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, may I boast in nothing but Your cross.  Holy Father, I am determined by Your grace to know nothing but Christ and Him crucified.  You have affirmed this calling through Dwight's message from annual council that Ingrid and I listened to on Sunday morning in which he spoke on Zechariah 12:10ff:

""I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn." (Zechariah 12:10 NAS95)

Father, in his confession of personal jealousy toward Mark Finley, Dwight reminded me that we all need to look upon the One we have pierced.  That no matter how many Mount of Transfiguration moments we have, we ultimately must return day by day to Mount Calvary.  And Jesus, only as we see You hanging there in all of Your Glory... bearing our sin, our shame, and our guilt... only then shall the power of sin be broken in our lives, only then shall we join with the angels in song of praise and adoration... 

""Worthy... Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."" (Revelation 5:12 NAS95)