(Wild Rose, Small Pink Rambling - 11)
There comes that day in early June, when Mary and I seem to exclaim in
unison, "Wow! The wild roses are in bloom." Most of the small 5/8 inch
(1.5 cm.) wild roses at Sleepy
Hollow Lake and the surrounding area are white, or white with a slight pink
blush, but every so often this pink variety catches our attention. It's as
though God is saying to us, "Because you appreciated my white roses, let Me show
you My pink ones." |
(Wild Rose, Small Pink Rambling - 06)
In our ministry to help make this a more sensitive, loving and compassionate world,
we also encounter the most horribly cruel and inhumane treatment of animals that
anyone could imagine. The torture, pain, suffering and death that occurs
every day in the animal agriculture industry, particularly on factory farms and
in slaughterhouses, can drive a sensitive person into a deep depression, if it
were not for these times when we can stop and "smell the roses", and come to
realize that our efforts are not in vain, and that we must continue our peaceful
endeavors. These are the thankful and quiet times when we can rest in the
Lord, and then go forth refreshed. It's very much like going forth
with the assurance that the buds will open to reveal more roses, but unlike the
roses which wither, the Lord and His encouragement is always present. |
(Wild Rose, Small Pink Rambling - 07)
When we "take the time to smell the roses", we also should be able to
appreciate the wonder of God's creation. If we don't blind ourselves to
the truths before us, we can smell the perfume; we can see the buds; we
can see the unfolding of the 5 petals and the numerous stamens balled-up around
the pistil; and we can see the magnificence of the the fully developed flowers.
And, if we do not blind ourselves to these truths, then we should also recognize
the pain and suffering in this world and do everything possible to put an end to
it. |
(Wild Rose, Small Pink Rambling - 08) Everything in our environment presents us
with something wonderful to behold. Each type of plant is different from others,
such as the flowers of the Rosa multiflora are produced in large corymbs
(clusters on a single stem), and within each type, each stem, leaf, leaflet (of
which there are 5-9 on each leaf), and bud and flower present further
uniqueness, just as every person and animal has his or her own individual
appearance and personality. Isn't it time we begin appreciating what God has
given us instead of destroying our environment, our fellow creatures and each
other? We believe it is! |
(Wild Rose, Small Pink Rambling - 09)
Our "macho" world is more interested in watching wrestlers bash each other
over the head with folding chairs than it is in watching the beauty of
the wild rose and God's other creations. The world calls us to
take up a weapon and kill an animal instead of picking up a camera to
preserve moments such as this one of a small pink wild rose bush. |
(Wild Rose, Small Pink Rambling - 10) In
this bee's eye view of the small pink rambling rose, we can easily see the five
slightly heart shaped leaves, the single pistil, and the numerous stamens. This
kind of beauty needs to be preserved, for far too long a time, unscrupulous
people have been trying to convince us that the evil and cruel things we do are
actually good. If someone deliberately causes pain or suffering to a fellow
human being or to an animal, or destroys the environment, it is evil, and the
time has come for us to recognize this fact, and put an end to it. It's time we
begin to praise the gentle, kind and compassionate acts we witness, and follow
these examples. It's truly time for all of us to pause to "smell the roses" and
profit from the experience. It's time for us to make Isaiah's words a reality:
"They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be
full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." (11:9)
|
(Wild Rose, Small Pink Rambling - 01) In
this photo, we can see the light pink blush that we mentioned
previously. Is it really a light pink colored pink rose, or is it a
slightly pink white rose? We don't know, but we do know that these roses
are beautiful to see and smell. |
(Wild Rose, Small Pink Rambling - 01a)
In this closer look at the previous photo, we can more easily see the
five saw toothed leaflets that are on each leaf (2 pairs opposite one
another, and one terminal). There can be as many as nine leaflets
on each leaf. |
Presented here are just a few of the countless components of God's creation.
Just as we cannot have human and animal life without water and plants, neither
can we have lasting peace without love and compassion. It is our hope and
prayer that this series will motivate people to live and act in a cruelty-free
manner; that we would no longer hurt or destroy each other, the animals or our
environment.
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