New beginnings and narrow paths? Shine.

Well, get this....

White roses

People that are closest to me know that I'm seeing white roses everywhere.  This has been going on for ... oh ... I'd say a few months?  At first I thought it was just a coincidence because most of them were popping up in the same place which is pretty logically explained.  But as more time passed, I started noticing white roses in more and more places.

I started thinking, "Is this a sign or something?" but I had no idea what it could mean.

Last Sunday was the first Sunday of the year and the first Sunday without Christmas decorations since Advent started.  Do you know what popped up in the vases on the alter at church?

Yep.  White roses.

Later in the week, I somehow ended up following a series of links and searches on the Internet to a floral website's description of what different colored flowers stood for, and it had a specific page for roses.

Now, don't think that I didn't look up the symbolism of white roses when I first started noticing them and trying to figure out what they meant.  I did.  But this website had a unique description on it that I hadn't found on any other sites.

It said that white roses can mean "new beginnings."  Hmmmm....

Disclaimer

I need to get something straight before I continue.  If you think this is going to turn into a churchy Christian blog, it isn't.  I greatly respect my Christian roots and beliefs, and I love my family and church family, but I also greatly respect and believe in many of the practices of other religions.  I consider myself a Christian because I have been a Christian -- literally dedicated to God by my parents -- since I was a baby.  However, you should not stereotype me as a Christian, because -- trust me -- I'm not one of "those."  My goal in life is to grow and learn and shine -- not shut out people and knowledge and truth.  No offense is meant by any of this!!!

Narrow paths and crosses

I'm really the only person my age that goes to Sunday School at our church.  I honestly avoided going for years and years.  I didn't want to go to the teen/youth class and the class up was filled with people between about 40 and 55 years old.  Although my mother fits in that age group, she started going to the "old lady class" instead.  (We're not very politically correct in our nicknames, are we?)  That is my grandmother's class and it is a shrinking group of silver-haired widows and a couple of their daughters who should be in the next class down but have good reason to stick with the older ladies.

My mother talked me into going to that class with her, and they are pretty insightful!  (I put an exclamation point not because I am surprised, but because they are more insightful and thoughtful than any other class I've ever gone to.)  They listen in mutual conversation and sit and chat about their ideas and still somehow manage to finish the lesson in less than an hour.

Last Sunday's lesson was about how following God or doing the right thing isn't easy.  We talked a lot about "false prophets" and how you can tell the difference between honest people and people that will mislead you.  (Hint:  the Fruits of the Spirit.)  It all related to choosing the wide path or the narrow winding path, and how the rewards at the end of narrow, winding path are the ones you want.

(By the way, the Bible also says that your path will be made straight.  There are different ways to interpret that and I've heard a few of them.  Right now, I like to think it means that things will eventually be laid out for you or make sense.)

On the back of the church bulletin was a little passage about how Jesus always had a cross, and that when we choose to follow Jesus, we have to "take up our cross."  No one said it would be easy, but it would be fulfilling and right.

Which ended up being quite the coincidence because that's what today's Sunday School lesson was about.  We talked about service -- the act of serving.

Timing and the lessons involved

I was slightly confused about the whole idea of following the narrow, winding path because I sure haven't been walking on a wide bed of rose petals all these years and I'm still faced with some of the worst frustrations I could imagine.

But last week's sermon sort-of cleared things up for me.  The pastor talked about Zachariah and Elizabeth, who always wanted children and couldn't have them.  (Gospel of Luke)  Zachariah and Elizabeth prayed and prayed for a child, and when they were elderly and it seemed ridiculous, they were given the miracle of a son.  An angel told them, "God has heard your prayers."

So, some would ask why, if God heard their prayers, did they have to wait so long?  It was all about timing.  You see, Elizabeth became pregnant shortly before Mary.  Mary, the mother of Jesus.  Zachariah and Elizabeth were the parents of John the Baptist -- the prophet who was to prepare the way for Jesus Christ.

The point?  Sometimes, when you're doing everything the way you're supposed to be doing it and you still don't get your prayers answered, it is because it just isn't right for you yet.  It will come to you at the best time.

Miracles

Today's sermon was about miracles and how to pray for them.  Who hasn't prayed or at least wished for a miracle.  You know what the first step to seeing a miracle is?  Believing in them.

Here are the keys to praying for a miracle, according to our pastor:

1.  Patience.  Remember that thing about waiting till the right time???  You must have humility and trust that what you're praying for will come to you in the right time.

2.  Passion.  Make sure you passionately want what you are asking for.  Miracles don't come to people who "kind-of" want them or "think" they want them.  You have to have a need in your life and/or your heart.

3.  Persistence.  Don't give up.  When you start believing in something and it takes longer than you thought it would, it can be discouraging.  Negativity will try to gain a foothold.  Don't let it.  Keep trying.  Keep pursuing what it is that you love or need.  Like the verse says, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."  (Notice that there are action verbs.  Ask.  Seek.  Knock.  In other words, don't sit around and wait for something to happen.)

4.  Be Precise.  You have to tell God exactly what you need.  After all, how can you believe in something with passion and faith if you don't know what, exactly, it is?

Then, step back and let go - let God have it.  Leave it in his hands.  Like, "Thy will be done."

5.  Gratefulness.  Have faith and be grateful -- out loud.  Proclaim it.  Give credit where credit is due.  Prove to others that miracles do happen.  Be prepared for this.

Our pastor reminded us twice -- both in the beginning of the sermon and at the end -- that the greatest miracle of all is being saved.

So anyway....

I believe in continual salvation.  My philosophy in life is to always continue to grow and understand new things and new perspectives.

I don't know what direction my life will take in the next year, but I have to believe there is something great out there for me.

I think my most recent mantras both apply.

1.  (Believe in) Open doors.
2.  Let your light shine!

"...Diva, if you look at the Latin root of the word, is about being close to the divine, not about excluding other people and energy from what it is that makes you shine, okay?" 

- Robin Strasser