God made each of your children just right.
In our garden is a beautiful rose bush that our friend Sheila planted there many years ago. It has given me much joy through the years and I have taken many photos of individual blooms. I especially love to take them in the rain or when, as the hymn My God and I says so beautifully, “the dew is still on the roses.”
I took this one on our rainy Saturday.
In my continuing quest to paint things from my life, I have chosen a rose photo from several years ago for my next painting. This is how far I got on that during class last week. I’ll give you a hint that Miss Judy told me. She said to start with the cup shape in the center of a rose and then carefully draw each of its petals just as you see them. I drew and erased and drew and erased and this is the result.
On one October day in 2015, I took several photos. Scattered around the bush that day were roses that are like your children. Some were buds, . . .
. . . others were opening just a bit, . . .
. . . some were halfway there, . . .
. . . and one was in full bloom.
And every one of those roses was exactly where it was supposed to be. No one was there asking why they weren’t all exactly the same and no one made a single one of them feel inferior because it was not at the same stage as the others. Each was glowing. One was even being a helper — it fed a moth that came to visit.
God made each of your children just right. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Children don’t all bloom at the same time either.
For You created my innermost parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You,
because I am awesomely and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
Psalm 139:13-14
A while back as I was thanking Sheila again and telling her how beautiful the rose bush continues to be, she expressed surprise that that particular kind of rose was still thriving. As you can see from this photograph from yesterday, it certainly is.
Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord,
so walk in Him,
having been firmly rooted
and now being built up in Him
and established in your faith,
just as you were instructed,
and overflowing with gratitude.
Colossians 2:6-7