Blooms in the Burn Pile

Sometimes God reveals profound truths in the most unexpected and extraordinary ways. Seemingly ordinary occurrences may lead to amazing discoveries. Allow me to lead you along the path to one such occurrence.

Roses, beautiful in bloom, require much care. Our rose bushes had a tendency to grow over the sidewalk, posing a threat to innocent passers by. The thorny branches, devoid of any beauty, were cut off from the rest of the blooms and tossed into the burn pile. The branches appeared dead, lifeless, but as time passed, blooms began to appear. Blooms? Where did they come from? Blooms or not, the burn pile was set on fire. After the fire died down, the blooms remained. Remarkably, the discarded branches had taken root, and grown about six inches into the ground.

Something about these roses was different. How could they bloom without any care or nurturing? They had none of the advantages the other roses had. These roses were thrown away, cut off from the rest of their kind, considered worthless, and yet they bloomed! These roses were determined, in spite of circumstances, to grow. These roses did not care that they were plucked out of their normal environment and put in a place where they were not supposed to flourish.

Flowers blooming in a burn pile? What a beautiful parallel to what Christ can do in the midst of insurmountable circumstances. Next time life seems hopeless, remember the roses and bloom, bloom, bloom.