Christmas Roses

Tis the season to decorate! Yes, I love to do up my tiny, but cozy, little home. It is always something I look forward to each year at Christmas. I start early and take it all down late. I think of the time several years ago when I purchased some roses and stuck them in my tree; I found some white ones with gold glitter, and after that year was over, I used them on packages for the next Christmas.

Last year I was shopping and spotted clip-on burgundy roses. I was like a vulture picking through the box and buying all they had. I knew they would be perfect on my tree, and I had a reason for my madness.

You see, it isn’t just that I like flowers; roses have a real significance to me. One of the names of Jesus in the Bible is “the rose of Sharon,” and so they remind me of Him. I also have angels and a small nativity scene amongst so many other ornaments, but my roses make it special. Many who come to visit at Christmastime have said that it is a beautiful tree and it is these flowers that they comment about each time. This is a real opportunity for them to hear about Jesus in a new way.

Christmas isn’t about tinsel, trees, lights, or gifts. It is about the birth of our Savior and I don’t want to get caught up in all of the bling and the shopping. I want everything to keep my focus on the reason for the season. The next time you see a rose, you may think about Jesus.

I am also reminded of a song by Paul Baloche and Lenny LeBlanc that says: “Like a rose trampled on the ground, You took the fall and thought of me above all."

So whatever you have that reminds you of Him, go ahead display it. My manger and my Christmas roses do it for me.

I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. (Song of Solomon 2:1 KJV)

Copyright © Cathy Irvin. Used by permission.