Stop and Smell the Rose

Song of Solomon 2:1 “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.”

I recently learned how to ride a Segway. For someone my age, learning to ride this contraption was quite a challenge. My biggest fear was falling and breaking something, so I was very attentive while learning. I listened carefully to the safety training video; I followed every direction the teacher gave, and I made sure every move I made was exactly what I had been told to do. Before I knew it, I was standing atop my Segway! Soon, I was actually riding around in the training area, albeit at a snail’s pace. My turns were wide and slow, but I didn’t fall! Moving the machine forward was coming along. (I refused to try the backwards roll!) Finally, I was ready for the road!

Our guide took us to several different places. I can’t tell you what was along the way because I was too focused on my balance, the ground right in front of me, my speed… anything that would assure I wouldn’t take a tumble. I missed a lot– until I stopped.

When I stopped, I finally saw the beauty around me! There was an old sugar mill standing regally on the grounds of a beautifully manicured estate. Sparkling white sand beaches were being gently kissed by the turquoise waves of the sea. Ancient cannons stood at attention on the crumbling stone walls of an abandoned British fort. Bougainvillea as purple as amethysts waved to me in the morning breeze. Oh, what I may have missed as I rode down those paths!

My spiritual life can sometimes be like riding that Segway. I can get so focused on my destination, that I miss the journey. So determined to memorize a verse, I miss its meaning. So fixated on completing my “read the Bible in one year” goal, that I do not savor the sweetness of God’s Word as I do my daily reading. So intent on life in general that I miss the close fellowship garnered by personal prayer time with Jesus. I forget how important it is to enjoy the journey.

I forget to stop and smell the Rose.

A red rose, the symbol of love, is one of the most beautiful flowers, and its floral perfume is the most fragrant of scents. Jesus is often referred to as the Rose of Sharon. Various commentaries have differing thoughts on this. Some say the Rose of Sharon refers to Jesus, while others say it is a reference to the church. I don’t know which is correct, but I do know that to me, Jesus is definitely the Rose of Heaven. If I don’t stop and spend time with Him on my journey through life, I may miss the very best part of the trip!

“The most beautiful Rose was broken one day

Nailed to a tree on a hill so far away

Forsaken by His friends, bruised by His foes

How sweet is the fragrance of heaven’s sweet Rose.”

(by Squire Parson “The Broken Rose”)