There is a two-story farmhouse nestled in the rolling and fertile hills of upstate New York – were I called home growing up. Always curious, there were many acres worth exploring – in search of living things to marvel at and inquire about its origin.
This old farmhouse, built in the 1800’s, had a towering gray chimney that seemed to be rooted in the depths of the earth with no end in sight. During the winter months it came alive with the continuous swirling of smoke arising from its stack – signaling that the coal furnace was actively keeping life inside nice and toasty. It also was the place I experienced the Christmas miracle.
It’s 25º, the winter snow is piled up at the base of this lofty giant, but that does not dissuade the life that was forming beneath this icy blanket….a highly anticipated Christmas gift waiting for my ever-curious heart to experience once again. With perfect timing, right around the end of December – the Christmas Rose – nestled up close to the building that it also called home. It seemed to emerge right out of the concrete giant – and bursting in to life in all of it’s glory. Its shiny green foliage proudly displaying its brilliant white flower holding a hint of pink as its centerpiece. What a miracle!
So what is a Christmas Rose? The Christmas Rose is a flowering evergreen that originated in Europe, and found its home in my backyard – maybe by my ancestors. I didn’t know about Jesus then, but now as I look back I can see that it “gave birth” right at the time we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Its name means “tranquility and peacefulness.” How appropriate – in the many ways that it touched my heart back then and brought me momentary peace and tranquility.
Today, as I reflect back on my childhood, even though everything around me was lying dormant in a blanket of snow it was like the Lord gave me a prophetic vision: Right alongside of that dormancy emerges life – waiting to happen…and I can see it and experience it if I look for it . My curiosity, and the love of all growing things, helped open my eyes to who Jesus is.
Look around you. Be curious. Investigate the things that sometimes don’t make sense. It’s healthy to do so. The Lord takes us through these journeys to reveal who he is, and it is part of the relationship that Father God wants to have with you. Are you grieving, confused, scared, alone, hopeless, abandoned or angry? (to to name a few). The answers lie deep within: the truth of the living God where peace and tranquility ( an untroubled state; free from disturbances ) are waiting to be revealed. Discover that childlike faith as if you were discovering a Christmas Rose. Walk up to that sleeping giant and believe that there is Someone waiting to show you a miracle. Inquire about it’s origin, and He will reveal it to you in the most believable way. In the darkest winter day, when we feel buried and without hope, we need a sign that God is present and in control. From beneath a dormant and negative, life hope is birthed – in all of its glory! The Christmas Rose is real!