Roses in the Wild
By Cheryl W. Glenn
Last week, I discovered another gem as I walked my usual route in the community for my perfunctory exercise.
Along the road, growing beside a ditch, was a gorgeous cluster of pink roses, just outside the house where my mother grew up; I call it the “House on Pleasant Grove Hill.”
But back to the roses.
Interestingly enough, during countless walks up the hill, I’d never seen the flowers before, in all of my 20 years here.
When I questioned my mother about them she informed me that the roses had been there ever since she can remember.
I walk the trail where I made this discovery often, and I pride myself with paying attention to the many phenomenal sights like various species of birds and different shapes of pine cones. But these colorful, roses (which are quite expensive in floral shops) really got my attention.
I picked several and brought them back to my room, where I placed them in a vase and relished in their natural beauty and pleasant aroma.
Then a thought occurred to me: “if beautiful roses are growing wild, right under my nose, what other treasures could be hiding?
Perhaps a cure for cancer is out there waiting to be discovered. Maybe there’s a plant that might, with the proper mix, erase hate and stamp out racism.
When God created the earth, He gave us exactly what we needed. But it’s up to us to discover it.
Perhaps the solutions to many problems, is simply so obvious, we don’t see it.
Rambling with Mrs. Arlene
Praise the Lord everyone. We are living in a time when everyone needs to be praising the Lord. We are living in troubled times. Before long it’s going to get worse. I believe we will reach a place where everyone will fall to their knees begging God to remember them. I seriously believe that when it comes that time, it will be too late to praise the name of Jesus.
You know, God showed me something this week. What if you have someone in mind that you wanted to visit your home and let you get to know him or her and you just couldn’t get him or her to come? How would it make you feel? Then suppose you found out what good people they are to help other people and how kind and good they are. So you call them up and invite them over for a meal with all the trimmings. They say they would see you Sunday, but they don’t show up on a Sunday. How would you feel?
Spiritually speaking, most everyone who is old enough to understand has at one point had someone to invite him or her to the house of God, usually on Sunday morning or Sunday night. Think about it. What do you say when you answer? Well yeah, we’ll be there, or maybe we’ll be able to make it!! I invite people all the time and get all kinds of answers.
I did it myself for a long time before I finally gave in and went to church. It took several weeks for me to build up my courage to go to an alter of prayer and weep before the Lord. I told him I wanted everything he had for me. A few weeks later I went to an alter and God filled me with his spirit. They said I spoke in tongues and shouted for thirty minutes or more. I just know one thing, I felt so good. God has been so good to my family and me. We’ve lost one son to death but God was with us and we know Devon is with Jesus or in a resting place waiting for the day God calls his children home.
I’m asking you to seriously think about what God is saying in this article. When this pen is in my hand, it is God writing. Please find you a church and get acquainted with God. We’d love to have you come to River of Life Church in Louisville. But wherever you go, get in there and worship. God will fill you with his Spirit. I love you all so much, but I can’t do for you what God can. Call me at 662-724-4691 or write me at 40 West Alice Street, Noxapater, MS 39346. I’d love to hear from you. God bless you all.
Arlene Barrett
