yellow rose promise

I keep peeking out of the corner of my eye when we pull down the driveway, hoping to catch a glimpse of life. Our dogwood is budding.  The irises are popping thru.  Grass is greening.  The weather is warming.

But, my little yellow rose bush out on our front lawn remains brown.

We put her in the ground as a scrawny little nothing of a plant last year- “lemon fizz” they called her.   I wasn’t sure how she’d do taking in the blistering hot, afternoon sun day after day all summer long.  But she did better than survive.  She bloomed and blossomed far more than I’d hoped.  She filled out to become a real live rose bush.

As I look at her, old brown leaves and buds that are dead heads now, I doubt.  It is a deep doubt.  What if winter has made her too dead?  I like to believe that the promise of springtime brings new life, making all things new – but, this time  I wonder if winter will truly give way to spring, if she will come to life. Is there a death too harsh?

My reality is that I wonder this sometimes about my own situation. I know how hard my heart is with pride and jealousy and idol worship…    Are there places too frozen cold from a harsh winter of sinful human-ness?  Am I too wayward for my journey to be made right?  Too dead in these besetting sins to be made alive again?

I can’t tell you how often I hear these words ( by Andrew Peterson) and I long for them to be true:

Come frozen with shame
Come burning with guilt
My Jesus, he loves you still
He loves you still

Rise up, oh you sleeper
Awake, the light of the dawn is upon you
Rise up, oh you sleeper
Awake, he makes all things new

Earlier today I stared at my sweet friend, my “not yet” yellow rose bush, for a moment.   As the sun was peeking through the trees, shedding a bit of warmth, I knew – It is coming.  It is only a matter of time and spring will give life and breath.  Renewal, in golden bloom, will come again.

And it will be so for my heart, too.  Jesus’ victory over the grave makes His promise sure.   Where there was death, He will bring life. Sin forgiven and doubt exchanged for hope. This beautiful and robust truth warms my cold heart ; The promise for my yellow roses, that spring will come again, belongs to me as well:   Just as He faithfully brings about springtime, He will continue His work in me.

He makes all things new.