A Rose With a Purpose–Packed and Ready to Go!
It was special from the start . . . Special, in that it was a gift of love from my church family on Mother’s Day . . . Special, because it not only survived the steam from my coffee cup but miraculously began to grow without any root or soil . . . Special, because after its story, the Lord revealed more . . . This special rose has more to tell you . . .
Miracles Always Have Purpose!
My table seems quite empty now without the rose, but I can drink a cup of coffee again without being cautious where to set it. I miss my rose, but it wasn’t mine to keep. I have learned that when I receive something, be it money, food, gift etc, to look inside and inquire of the Lord–is it for me or did He have someone else in mind to be blessed, and I the carrier? Especially with money. Is it for me or is it a seed? –That said, it didn’t occur to me that I would be giving away a Mother’s Day gift, because, why would one do that?
Why?
Because, the Lord has need of it!
After my previous post, “A Gift of New Life,” someone made the comment to me stating–“That post touched me more than any of all of your posts.” What exactly was it about that one? He couldn’t really say, but the Lord had used that post to place His finger directly on the pain of his soul. It was just time–time to deal with the wounds of life that had been stuffed but never healed. It was time for God to answer my prayers; I had been praying for him for a very long time.
My time came when my husband died. Suddenly, years of stuffed pain erupted in me like a volcano. It was the proverbial ‘last straw’ and I didn’t know how to cope with it. My friend Paula, now gone home to be with the Lord, took the time, patience, and love required to unravel my mess–helping me to live again! I thank God for her, I am so grateful–everyone needs a special friend like Paula!
Be encouraged, the Lord hears you!
This man stated that he had been planning to call me for about a month. “I want what you’ve got!” he emphatically stated. What? “That baptism of the Holy Spirit–I want that!”
That is one of the greatest gifts one could ever desire!
“For John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:5
If you’re having trouble connecting with God. If your walk with Him seems inactive and dull. It’s likely that this is what you are missing. Don’t let people tell you that it’s not of God. Open your Bible and read it for yourself.
So, it was the next morning when I looked at the rose and realized, this is why it was growing but not putting out roots. This rose represented the man’s new beginning. During our conversation, so much pain of his past poured forth–revealing his need for the Lord to heal and deliver. Pain from his past, the trauma of Vietnam, loss, and the alcohol he used to anesthetize it all had gripped his life–caging his heart and soul. He had tried everything to break free, but there are some things we just can’t do on our own.
A few days before I was given the rose, a video about rooting a rose from a cutting had come into my YouTube feed. It was interesting, so I sent it to my text for–someday. Now I realized, God, had sent it, and ‘someday’ was here!
The left picture, presented above, is the rose 18 days after I received it. Who knows how long it had been cut before that. After it was given to me, it was three or four hours out of water; not even a wet paper towel on the end. So, I prayed when I packed it up, that it would survive the journey; but it was so straight and strong it didn’t even ruffle a petal. I took it to the man and said, “This represents your new beginning. You are going to plant this and it will be a marker of your new life. It didn’t put down roots because you are the one that’s going to be putting down new roots!” We talked a bit, read through scriptures, and then it was time to pray. He had told me the night before that he had asked and asked but nothing ever seemed to happen. Well, God made sure he knew something happened, because he radically received his baptism!
He first commented that he could smell the rose. “No, that rose doesn’t have a scent,” I told him. “I’m smelling roses!” he reaffirmed. It was Jesus. His Presence sometimes has a scent. When I worked at a factory years ago, I was in a corner all by myself and got so caught up in my thoughts of Him I began to worship in my heart; and suddenly was enveloped with the smell of roses. Factories don’t smell like roses, and there was no one else near me. Other times I have smelled lily of the valley and once, honey and roses. He then commented that it was getting stronger, but I couldn’t smell anything–this was just for him!
I put my hands on his head to pray and it became hot and sweat broke out on his head when I asked the Lord to baptize him in the Holy Spirit. I commanded a spirit of addiction off of him, and then the Holy Spirit filled him and he began to shake. He sat shaking for some time, “Stay with it,” I instructed him. The Lord was doing a work in him. During this time, I had prayed that the Lord heal him from the top of his head to the souls of his feet; and the very first thing he did when he got up was to go smell the rose. “It doesn’t smell like anything.” he said to me. “Yep, told you, it has no scent–that was Jesus!” Much later we went to a restaurant for dinner–our plan was to go to lunch but this had become a much bigger event than either of us had expected. At dinner, before he even sat down, he said, “Do you smell that?” Yeah, sure, the food smells were really strong, garlic and sort of a pungent BBQ. He got that misty look on his face as it dawned on him, the Lord had healed him–he has not been able to smell anything for years! –and that is his beginning . . .
Glory to God!
“‘For John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'”
“‘But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.'” Acts 1:8
“And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 22-4
“And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him.'” Acts 2:38-39
“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said. ‘John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ Acts 11:15-16
“And he said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ And they said, ‘No, we have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ And he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ They said, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ And Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus. On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.” Acts 19:2-6
“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear, he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.” Matthew 3:11 KJV
“‘ And I tell you, ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!'” Luke 11:10-13
“‘–If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.'” John 8:31-32
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