I let her bloom on the vine.

I have this rose bush outside my home. Everyone said it was dead when we moved in, but I let her be and she came to life! She had a little pruning, a good rainy season, and plenty of sunshine, and a peculiar thing happened — she bloomed! I’ve gotten at least a dozen and a half roses out of her over the last year. She gives me big, bodacious blooms too. It’s like she wants to honor me for speaking life over her and tending to her. And for believing in her.

Today she has a MAJOR bloom on her. Normally at the first sign of red tufts, I’ve picked her and stuck her in a vase to watch her bloom safely in my house. She blooms, beautifully, inside. But this time I wanted to see what it looked like if I let her bloom on the vine.

Then a big storm came. And I got worried for my little bud. Would the heavy drops and intense wind knock her off? Would the sun exposure crisp her frail petals and scar her, making her repulsive and a waste of a bud? Would bugs find her and destroy her worth?

But none of that happened. You see, she is strong. And she was created to withstand the elements. She was created to bloom. No matter what.

And bloom she has. She has bloomed more beautifully on the vine then she ever has in a little vase on my piano. How vibrant her colors are when she’s covered in leftover rain drops. How strong her stem is to still be standing when all is said and done. How lovely are her petals as they glisten in the sunlight.

Is her beauty any less because of her exposure to the elements? Oh most definitely not. If anything, she shines even brighter. I can’t take my eyes off of her. Her value doesn’t change because of what she has experienced, or because of what people have spoken over her. Just because so many had given up on her, doesn’t mean she should give up the fight. Her one job on this Earth is just to grow and bloom, giving glory to her Creator. And along the way, her beauty and light will make people smile.

Bloom, little baby. Bloom. 🌹