The Thorn and the Bloom

Eliza loved roses. Not just any roses, but the old-fashioned kind – the ones that bloomed with a heady fragrance and petals that seemed to swirl with secrets. She cultivated them in her small garden, each bloom a testament to patience and care.

One day, a young man named Mark stopped by her garden. Mark was a programmer, immersed in the world of algorithms and artificial intelligence. He admired Eliza's roses but in a detached, analytical way.

“They're quite beautiful,” he said, “but inefficient. Think of all the time and effort you spend. I could create a virtual rose, perfect in every way, that never fades and requires no tending.”Eliza smiled gently. “But would it be real, Mark? Would it have a scent? Would it feel the warmth of the sun, the coolness of the rain? Would it have life?”Mark scoffed. “Life is just a complex set of data points. I could simulate it perfectly.”Eliza plucked a deep red rose, its velvety petals unfurling in her hand. “Look closely, Mark,”she said, offering him the rose. “See the intricate pattern of the petals, the delicate veins, the subtle variations in color? This is the work of a Master Designer, far beyond anything we can create.”

She quoted Psalm 139:14: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”Mark examined the rose, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. "But it will wither and die," he countered. “My virtual rose would last forever.”“True,” Eliza conceded, “but its beauty would be static, unchanging. This rose, in its brief life, experiences growth, change, and ultimately, a return to the earth to nourish new life. It's a cycle, a reflection of God's promise of renewal.”

Eliza then shared John 12:24 with him: “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”She explained, “Just like this rose, we too are meant to embrace the cycle of life and death. Our earthly bodies are temporary, but through faith in Jesus Christ, we have the promise of eternal life.”Mark was silent, pondering her words. He was used to dealing with code, with predictable outcomes. Eliza's words spoke of something beyond logic, something that resonated with a deeper part of him.

“I don't understand,” he admitted. “I've always believed that everything can be explained, replicated.”

Eliza placed the rose in his hand. “The most beautiful things in life, Mark, are often the ones we can't fully explain. Love, joy, hope, and faith—they are gifts from God. The rose is but a reminder of the beauty and intricacy of His creation.”She continued, “God loves you so much that he sent his only son to die for you.” Eliza shared John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Mark looked at the rose, then back at Eliza. “So, what do I do?”

Eliza smiled. “Start by opening your heart to the possibility of something more, something beyond the code. Pray, read the Bible, and seek God's guidance. He will reveal Himself to you.”Mark left Eliza's garden that day with the rose clutched in his hand and a seed of faith planted in his heart. He began to question his reliance on artificiality and started exploring the beauty and truth of God's creation. He eventually realized that true beauty, true life, could only be found in a relationship with the Creator, not in any imitation of it. And it all began with a rose.

Vickie 🌸