Eagle's Wings - February 12, 2012
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- Published on Monday, 13 February 2012 14:28
“How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them, and how can they preach unless they are sent? (Romans 10:14, 15)
With Valentine’s Day approaching, a time for roses, I was reminded it is time to prune the one rose bush in my backyard. I used to grow roses and always was intrigued by the way in which new varieties were created. One story about creating roses says much to us about evangelism and planting seeds of grace.
The story concerns a Francis Meilland who lived in Paris and dedicated his life to raising roses. He created one sensational rose and was anxious to name it. But it was 1939 and world war was threatening Western Europe. To preserve this special rose, he took cuttings from the plant and methodically packaged them and sent them throughout the world in diplomatic pouches. He had no idea if they would survive. One of those pouches was destined for the United States.
After four long years, Meilland received a letter that his cutting had reached a rose grower in Pennsylvania. The rose was ruffled with petals of cameo ivory and cream tipped with a tinge of pink. After the war ended there was a ceremony in California, and to honor the occasion, the special, fragile rose received a name and it was called “Peace”. (Keith Wagner, adapted from Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul)
How we touch people with our lives and with the story of our faith can have far reaching consequences. We don’t always know what will happen with the seed of grace that we plant but we trust in the work of the Holy Spirit that the seed will grow and bear fruit. We don’t need a lot of resources, just the courage and faith to speak and tell our story.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bob